Montréal, November 10, 2025 – Montréal will become the continental capital of judo from November 13 to 16, when it hosts three Pan-American Open tournaments at the Centre Pierre-Charbonneau. In addition to the senior competitions, which will take place on Saturday, November 15, and Sunday, November 16, the junior and cadet competitions will be held on Thursday and Friday, November 13 and 14.
A total of 220 athletes from 19 countries and six continents will take part in the senior tournaments. The junior competitions will feature 227 athletes from 13 countries, while the cadet competitions host 181 athletes from ten different countries.
The Canadian contingent will consist of over one hundred athletes in the three different age groups, some of whom will compete in more than one category.
The senior men’s team will be led by Julien Frascadore (-66 kg), silver medallist at the Lima Grand Prix in Peru last month, and Olympian François Gauthier-Drapeau (-90 kg).
The senior women’s lineup will feature Evelyn Beaton (-52 kg), runner-up continental champion and gold medallist at last year’s tournament in Montréal. Coralie Godbout (-78 kg), who won a silver medal at the Pan-American Championships, will also have her sights set on the podium. She placed third at the Lima Grand Prix in October, as well as at the Lima Continental Open three days later.
The condensed schedule of competitions in the different age groups, as well as the hosting of training camps before and after the tournaments, reflect the national federation’s determination to maximize the number of athletes and coaches at the event in Quebec’s largest city.
“Our strategy is to position the Montréal tournament as an essential event for up-and-coming Canadian and international athletes,” said Nicolas Gill, CEO of Judo Canada.
“By holding the cadet and junior tournaments, we provide the athletes in those age groups an opportunity to also compete at the next level up,” he added. “For the teams that have to travel to compete here, it makes the financial investment more worthwhile. They know they won’t just be making a quick turnaround trip.”
Maximizing the number of international competitions for cadet and junior athletes serves as a boon to the judokas, as well as to their coaches, who are granted a valuable opportunity to gauge the skills of their athletes against the world’s elite, and thus determine how far they have progressed and what they need to work on to reach the top.
In addition to the competition-related advantages, hosting the Pan-American Open in Montréal also generates significant economic activity for the city and its borough. Often underestimated, the tourist appeal of Olympic sports has many valuable benefits, providing a boost to local infrastructure and businesses. The event is a major asset to the entire Montréal sports community!
The competitions will be live streamed on www.judocanada.tv.
Tickets may be purchased at https://judocanada.org/events/tickets-continental-cup/.
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Written by Sportcom for Judo Canada
Media Contact
Patrick Esparbès
Chief Operating Officer
Judo Canada
(514) 668-6279
p.esparbes@judocanada.org