(Paris) The career of Montreal judoka Ana Laura Portuondo-Isasi ended on 16it is final of the Olympic tournament in the over 78 kg category on the tatamis of the Champ-de-Mars Arena on Friday.
The Cuban-born Quebecer was defeated by ippon by Nicaraguan athlete Izayana Marenco, after 2:07 of action in her first fight of the day.
Faced with an opponent who was not inclined to attack, Portuondo-Isasi made a tactical error that allowed the Nicaraguan to counterattack and score an ippon, automatically sealing the outcome of the fight.
Portuondo-Isasi therefore concluded the competition in 17e place.
PHOTO EUGENE HOSHIKO, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ana Laura Portuondo-Isasi in action against Izayana Marenco
He was Canada’s last athlete in judo, where the country won just one medal — Christa Deguchi’s gold, the country’s first in history, in the 57 kg — despite a promising delegation.
Head coach Antoine Valois-Fortier was talking about a goal of two or three medals a few weeks before flying to Paris.
Unfortunately, three of the Canadian athletes saw their careers end in the repechage (Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard, Arthur Margelidon and François Gauthier-Drapeau), another in the round of 16 (Shady Elnahas), and two in the round of 16 (Kelly Deguchi and Portuondo-Isasi).
A mixed result therefore for the Canadian delegation, which will however be able to resume its team competition on Saturday, where it will launch hostilities against Uzbekistan.
Three women and three men compete in their own weight division (or a higher division). The first nation to achieve four wins advances to the next round. In the event of a tie, a weight division is drawn at random and an additional fight will determine the winning team.
Beauchemin-Pinard, Christa Deguchi, Portuondo-Isasi, Elnahas, Gauthier-Drapeau and Margelidon will represent Canada.