Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard of Quebec | CTV News

Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard could have left the rigors of competitive judo behind her.

The 30-year-old won bronze at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and silver at the 2022 World Championships. She has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and is on track to obtain a specialized diploma in taxation.

So why would she go through the two-year, arduous judo process to qualify for this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris? Because she’s just not satisfied yet.

“I’m thinking about a medal, even a gold medal, I won’t deny that,” she said a few weeks before flying to Paris, where she will be the top seed in the under-63 kilogram weight class.

“But the most important thing is to focus on the right things. I managed to do that in Tokyo, where I also went for a medal. But after the bronze I want more.”

Beauchemin-Pinard, from Saint-Hubert, Quebec, is part of a strong Canadian judo team heading to Paris. She joins two-time world champion and 57-kilogram favorite Christa Deguchi, her sister Kelly Deguchi and 100-kilogram world champion Shady El-Nahas, and others.

The judo competitions will take place from July 27 to August 3 in the Champ-de-Mars Arena, a spectacular temporary structure at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.

Beauchemin-Pinard will be in action on July 30 and says she is well prepared for the occasion.

“Setting goals is one thing, but to achieve them, you have to prepare,” she said. “I have more preparation goals, so that I am ready for the Games, both physically and mentally, rested and ready to fight. That way I can achieve what I want to achieve.”

Beauchemin-Pinard isn’t afraid of the pressure of being the top seed in a tournament. She’s been in that position before.

“In the first tournaments as world number 1 I felt maybe more pressure. But judo has surprises; anyone can lose in 30 seconds,” she said. “Many are sometimes in first place, but that doesn’t mean they are on the podium.

“It’s always a compliment to be among the world’s best, especially to be in the top eight strategically, but after that I remain realistic about the nature of my sport, which can be very unpredictable.”

All judo competitions in the same weight class are held on the same day. This requires not only excellent physical condition, but also a lot of mental strength from the athletes.

Beauchemin-Pinard prepares by making a list of all her competitors and writing a plan for each of them. When the draw takes place, she delves even deeper into who she might encounter on the road to the final.

“But I’m taking one fight at a time. If I want to reach the final, I have no choice but to win my first fight,” she said. “Even during the fight, every time the referee stops it, I reset. The previous sequence is over; I focus on the next one.”

“In between fights, I have a good talk with my coach,” she added. “In Tokyo, I thought I would win my first fight faster, but it went into overtime and I panicked a little bit. When I came out, I talked to (my former coach) Sasha (Mehmedovic). He reminded me to stay focused on my plan, that if I stay focused on my plan from A to Z, everything will go well.”

This time Beauchemin-Pinard is working with national coach Antoine Valois-Fortier, who won bronze at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Beauchemin-Pinard, who trained with Mehmedovic for six years, said she tried a hybrid system of training with Mehmedovic and working with Valois-Fortier after the announcement of a coaching change, but found it too complicated.

Being coached by a former teammate gave her a different perspective.

“Changing coaches was good. Antoine brought a breath of fresh air to my judo,” she said. “He forced me to look at the sport from a different angle. Now I have the best of both worlds by still training a little with Sasha.”

The transition from friends and teammates to coach and ‘boss’ was not without its challenges, but Valois-Fortier believes Judo Canada handled the transition well.

“It wasn’t too complicated, especially because I had good support, both from former coaches and from (CEO and high-performance director) Nicolas Gill or the rest of the team,” Valois-Fortier said. “Sometimes it’s more complicated, other times there’s a stronger, more natural connection. Having lived those moments as teammates, I can understand them, and as their teammate I know them well. I know what they’re thinking.

“My role is changing, so the dynamics have to change. Some discussions are harder to have. We’ve had three years to navigate this dynamic and we’re in a good position now. … This relationship has allowed us to go further, faster. The credit goes to the athletes.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2024.