Jessica Klimkait wins judo bronze to make Canadian history – CBC.ca

Having just lost the most devastating match of her career, a semifinal defeat to go for gold in the women’s under-57 kilogram judo event, Canada’s Jessica Klimkait wasn’t sure initially she could step back out on the mat for another match. 

She was heartbroken. The world’s number-one ranked judoka in her weight class, Klimkait imagined a golden moment in Tokyo to end her first Olympic experience.

But there was still a medal up for grabs. It was not the colour Klimkait wanted but it still a chance to step on the podium.

Klimkait cried a bit. She talked to her coach. And then not long after she got back on the mat for her bronze-medal match.

Inside the hallowed Nippon Budokan near the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Klimkait showed resilience, power and poise to battle back and win bronze for Canada.

WATCH | Klimkait makes Canadian history, captures Olympic bronze:

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Jessica Klimkait of Whitby, Ont., becomes first Canadian woman to win an Olympic medal in judo as she defeats Slovenia’s Kaja Kajzer to win the bronze medal. 10:34

“Right now I’m going to be emotional about missing that gold medal but I think looking back I’m going to be proud of myself because the last two or three years have been extremely hard,” Klimkait said. 

She defeated Slovenian Kaja Kajzer to become the first Canadian woman to land on the Olympic judo podium.

Kosovo’s Nora Gjakova won gold, while France’s Cysique won second. Japan’s Tsukasa Yoshina also won bronze as they award two third-place finishes in judo.

WATCH | Klimkait steps to the podium for her historic medal:

Jessica Klimkait receives the first ever Olympic medal to be awarded to a Canadian woman in judo. 1:14

It’s Canada’s first medal in judo since the 2012 Olympics.  

“I came here with gold in mind. That was the goal for me,” she said, fighting back tears.  

“At the end of the day I’m just happy I was able to collect myself after that loss and come away with a medal.”

Stunning loss in semis

But about an hour earlier Klimkait’s Olympic gold medal dreams were dashed by France’s Sarah Léonie Cysique.

The referee handed Klimkait a third shido, or penalty, after a failed attack. That gave Cysique a stunning win.

“I’m a really offensive player. The only solution that I had was that I was trying to attack. I kept trying to attack. Some of them were not as great as they could have been,” Klimkait conceded. 

Klimkait, 24, had to battle through four matches on Monday to secure the bronze, including the demoralizing semifinal.

“I just used all my mental strength that I could and kept it about trying to perform in the bronze medal match despite my emotions and some physical fatigue,” she said.

WATCH | Klimkait reflects on her historic medal for Canada:

Jessica Klimkait of Whitby, Ont., discusses her victory in the women’s under-57 kilogram judo event. 1:24

Klimkait, from Whitby, Ont., has been carving a new path in the sport for Canada over the past number of years, alongside world No. 2, Canadian Christa Deguchi. 

But it wasn’t a completely smooth journey for Klimkait in becoming Olympic champion.

Just before the pandemic hit in March 2020 and COVID-19 shut down sports around the world, Klimkait and Deguchi were months away from a fight-off for Canada’s lone Olympic quota spot, and then Klimkait suffered a knee injury.

The pandemic pause was a blessing for Klimkait as she was able to rest and recover. She told CBC Sports that if she wouldn’t have gotten the time off, she wouldn’t have been able to train properly and would have lost the fight-off – that would have ended her Olympic dream.

WATCH | Sport Explainer – Judo:

Need a refresher on judo? Get to know the sport before the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. 2:23

With only one Olympic spot available per country per event in judo, it had been decided that whoever of the two finished higher at the 2021 worlds would get Canada’s 57kg berth.

In early June, Klimkait defeated Momo Tamaoki of Japan by waza-ari in the world final, becoming Canada’s second world champion in the sport after Deguchi won in 2019.

Klimkait won the world championship and booked her ticket to Tokyo. Deguchi finished fourth. 

“The last two or three years have been really uncertain for me in trying to qualify for the Olympics,” Klimkait said. 

“I had to tuck the dream of the Olympics away and try to get better at judo for a while. I just did my best to be the best player I could and hoped that would be enough for qualification.”

WATCH | Klimkait wins judo world championship gold, qualifies for Tokyo:

Jessica Klimkait of Whitby, Ont. became only the second Canadian to win a judo world championship title, defeating Momo Tamaoki of Japan in the women’s under-57 kilogram final in Budapest, while also earning the right to represent Canada at the Tokyo Olympics. 11:39

It was somewhat of a full-circle moment for the Canadian judo program – Canada’s first judo medal was won inside the same Budokan venue at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo by Doug Rogers, taking the heavyweight silver. 

It would take two decades before Canada would win another judo medal, as Mark Berger won heavyweight bronze at the 1984 Games.

Coming into these Games in Tokyo, Canada had won two silver medals and three bronze medals.

Canada hadn’t won an Olympic medal in judo for nine years. 

But Klimkait has ended the drought in the same place judo became an Olympic sport. 

“That’s been a goal and dream of mine not only to attend the Olympic Games but to be on the podium. Obviously the highest step on the podium would have been preferred,” she said.

“I still wanted to feel that pride even if it wasn’t gold.”

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