Louis Krieber-Gagnon, who continues to struggle with a hamstring injury, was defeated in his first under-90 kg bout on Wednesday at the World Championships in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Montrealer was taken down by ippon halfway through his combat against Peter Safrany of Hungary.

“Louis’s draw was a bit tricky. He arrived here with a minor injury that threw off his preparation, but all in all, he fought well. He saw an opportunity to attack and he took it, but the Hungarian handled it well, counterattacking at the same moment to score an ippon,” explained Canadian coach Antoine Valois-Fortier.

Krieber-Gagnon and Safrany, the 2023 U23 European champion, last faced off at the Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam in Mongolia last year, where Safrany won by waza-ari.

Prior to this week’s World Championships, Krieber-Gagnon skipped out on two tournaments so as to arrive in the United Arab Emirates in improved health following an injury he sustained at the Pan-American Championships last month. According to Valois-Fortier, as Krieber-Gagnon’s fourth appearance at the Senior World Championships approached, he felt up to the task.

“I didn’t need to try to motivate him. It’s an important event, so he wanted to be here. It’s pretty amazing that he was able to compete today [Wednesday] despite his injury, which is still bothering him. Nevertheless, he fought well.”

At last year’s World Championships, Krieber-Gagnon finished with a 1-1 record.

The World Championships will come to an end on Thursday. Ana Laura Portuondo Isasi (+78 kg) will compete on the women’s side, while Shady El Nahas and Kyle Reyes hit the tatamis in the men’s under-100 kg weight division.

“The guys should be able to go far tomorrow. They’re ready, they’re healthy, and in their most recent competitions, they’ve both shown that they’re in good shape,” concluded the coach.

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Patrick Esparbès
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