Little by little, Gabriel Juteau is regaining his competitive rhythm on the European tatami mats. The Canadian judoka took advantage of the Prague Open, which began on Saturday in the Czech Republic, to collect a first international victory in 2022 and take another step towards his return to optimal form.
The representative of the maple leaf started his day in a good way by winning his first duel of the tournament in the under 73 kg category against the German Tom Moritz. The 24-year-old Quebecer left his opponent no leeway during this fight and quickly won by ippon to advance to the next round.
“I controlled the match really well. I did my judo, I made my opponent move and I imposed my rhythm. It was a really good fight for me and I’m very happy that I followed my game plan to the letter. That’s my style, ”he analyzed at the end of the tournament.
However, things were more complicated in the second round, where the Canadian had an appointment with the Israeli Yehonatan Elbaz, 76th in the ranking of the International Judo Federation (IJF).
Juteau once again started the duel with a bang, but was unable to find the opening to launch a successful attack. The tide turned in the third minute of hostilities and his opponent took advantage of a lack of attention to win by ippon.
“He was left-handed and I gave him too much time to get inside. He surprised me and I couldn’t defend myself. These are small mistakes, but it makes all the difference in judo,” continued the athlete from Longueuil, who will retain much more than his record of a victory and a loss at the end of the day.
“Despite the loss, I really felt that I could win. With the pandemic, I had lost my judo a bit, but I was very comfortable today (Saturday) and I felt really good. You have to find the timing in competition and the intelligence on the tatami. I really see progress recently. I lack a bit of finishing, but habits are slowly coming back, ”he said in conclusion.
No other Canadian representative managed to find the path to victory on Saturday. Julien Frascadore (-60 kg) and Isabelle Harris (-63 kg) both benefited from a bye in the first round of their respective category, but then had to admit defeat by ippon. Hakim Chala (-66 kg) suffered the same fate as his teammates, losing from the outset against the Portuguese Bruno Barros.
Several Canadian judokas will be in action on Sunday, at the conclusion of the European Open in Prague. Alicia Fiandor (-70 kg), Mina Coulombe (-78 kg) and Coralie Godbout (-78 kg) will tread the tatamis on the women’s side. Their compatriots Étienne Briand (-81 kg), Mohab ElNahas (-81 kg), Alexandre Arencibia (-90 kg), Louis Krieber-Gagnon (-90 kg) and Keagan Young (-90 kg) will do the same for men.
