Canadian judoka Francois Gauthier-Drapeau claims Grand Slam gold

By Canadian Press on November 29, 2025.

ABU DHABI — Canada’s Francois Gauthier-Drapeau won the second Grand Slam gold medal of his judo career Saturday.

After opening the scoring in the first minute of the final against Russia’s Abdul-Kerim Tasuev, the 27-year-old from Alma, Que., scored a waza-ari — an action in which the opponent is thrown with control and accuracy — with just over two minutes to go, on his way to a decisive victory in the men’s 81-kilogram class.

The Canadian had to walk a tight line, however, to ensure he didn’t get a third penalty and blow his lead.

“In the final, I really did some good judo,” said Gauthier-Drapeau. “My techniques worked well, and I racked up points quickly.

“I had been a bit nervous about facing such a tough opponent, though, and I knew I was going to have to bring my A game. Having received two penalties, I couldn’t afford to make any more mistakes. That’s always a stressful situation to be in, but I managed.”

He competed for Canada in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where he was eliminated in a repechage match. Gauthier-Drapeau earned his 11th Grand Slam medal of his career Saturday.

He dispatched Ramon Hernandez Jr. of the U.S., Mongolia’s Shinebayar Oyunchimeg and Bulgarian Georgi Gramatikov to reach a semifinal, in which he defeated Moldova’s Victor Sterpu.

“Winning a medal today feels great, and it’s a real confidence booster,” said Gauthier-Drapeau, who also won gold earlier in November at the Pan-American Open in Montreal, where he competed in the under-90 kg pool.

Also Saturday, Jessica Klimkait of Whitby, Ont., lost her bronze-medal match in women’s 63-kilogram category to Carlotta Avanzato of Italy.

Gauthier-Drapeau and Klimkait will compete at the Tokyo Grand Slam next week alongside seven other Canadians.