Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard (-63 kg) did not have a day that lived up to her expectations on Saturday at the Masters Tournament in Budapest, Hungary. The Quebecer was limited to only two fights and could not reach the medal round in the Hungarian capital.
Beauchemin-Pinard’s day had started well with a victory in a hard-fought duel against the Croatian Iva Oberan. The Montrealer managed to win after trailing early in the duel.
“I got tagged early, but I was able to come back to win. I am happy with the way I acted during the fight. I kept a cool head and it paid off to win,” mentioned Beauchemin-Pinard.
However, things got tough for Beauchemin-Pinard in the next round when she had an appointment with the Czech Renata Zachova. The clash ended at the end of the regulation four minutes during which Zachova had managed to score a point thanks to a waza-ari. This defeat put an end to Beauchemin-Pinard’s working day.
“I got scored fast again in that second fight. I knew what I had to do to get back on track, but I couldn’t. I tried hard, but my opponent was playing very defensively and she wasn’t getting a penalty for non-combativeness. I’m a bit disappointed with the outcome and how the fight went,” she added.
“I fought well in general, except for the two sequences where I fell. I felt good and my body was following, I had rhythm, but the results didn’t come, it’s a bit disappointing. »
Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard will now take advantage of several weeks away from competition to rest and train in preparation for the Olympic year which will begin shortly. She assures that she will return to the drawing board in order to be at the top of her form for this important season.
“I want to work on my patience, I need to be more passive at the start of the fight. I mustn’t overdo it. I will work on my strategies and the coming weeks at home will be good in this long process that is beginning, ”she concluded.
Two other Canadians were in action Saturday in Budapest. François Gauthier-Drapeau was defeated in his first duel in the under 81 kg table against Dutchman Frank De Wit after nearly 7 minutes of fighting.
For his part, Arthur Margelidon (-73 kg) took advantage of a pass in the first round before dropping the flag in front of the Moldovan Petru Pelivan. The latter continued his journey until he won a bronze medal.
Sunday, on the last day of activity at the Masters Tournament, Canadians Kyle Reyes and Shady El Nahas will be in action in the under 100 kg category
