Efficient Canadian Christa Deguchi completes hat-trick

Paris Grand Slam winner Christa Deguchi of Canada defeated Marrakech Grand Prix winner Lien Chen-Ling (TPE) to win the U57kg gold medal in Ekaterinburg and she completed her Grand Slam hat-trick. Deguchi pinned down Lien for 20 seconds to seal her second Grand Slam title in as many months having won in the French capital in February.

Tokyo-based Lien was supported by fans from her company team, Komatsu, but lost out to the in-form former Japanese international.

In the first semi-final Junior World Championships gold medallist Funakubo Haruka (JPN) lost out to Lien by a waza-ari score while in the second semi-final Deguchi (CAN) defeated Olympic bronze medallist Telma Monteiro (POR) by ippon.

The first bronze medal was won by Osaka Grand Slam winner Jessica Klimkait (CAN) who thwarted Monteiro in golden score with a seoi-nage for a match-winning waza-ari. The second bronze medal was won by Funakubo who rushed past 2010 world bronze medallist Sabrina Filzmoser (AUT) in 51 seconds with a yoko-shiho-gatame hold.

Christa Deguchi said to the IJF Team: “I was hoping to reach the final with Jessica as that is the best for Canada. But she won the bronze. I still have to focus on Jessica too and to become stronger. The next event will be the Pan Am Championships where I will try my best. I won the Panams last year.

“I feel more pressure when I have a competition in Japan like the World Championships this year. But for the Olympic Games I will need that pressure and I will try the best I can and try to win a gold medal.”