Guica was a prohibitive long shot to medal at the Games, just squeezing under the bar for a top-30 world ranking in her weight division
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For the second consecutive Olympic Games, the same Canadian judoka was rendered spectator before the quarter-finals.
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Ecaterina Guica dropped her opening-round match to Charline Van Snick of Belgium in the 52-kilogram weight division at the Nippon Budokan on Saturday night.
After the match, the La Prairie, QC., resident commented on the world-class talent at the Tokyo Games, while expressing disappointment for not earning a spot in the Round of 16.
“Fighting in the Olympics is obviously exceptional (and) I obviously dreamed of making a result here, so it’s not how I wanted it to go,” Guica said.
Guica was a prohibitive long shot to medal at the Games, just squeezing under the bar for a top-30 world ranking in her weight division.
As previously stated, this is the second consecutive Olympics where Guica lost in the early stages of the Olympic crucible. At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Guica lost out in the second round to Natalia Kuziutina of Russia.
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The 30-year-old Van Snick scored a waza-ari at 2:38 of the four-minute match, an ippon ending the contest with 1:01 remaining as the Belgian pinned the left arm of Guica to the mat. The Canadian appeared to be in considerable pain as she cradled her left arm immediately following the pin, while resting on her knees. Van Snick also received a Shido penalty during the match.
In general, an ippon is a throw in which a contestant throws the opponent to the mat with force and speed so the opponent lands on his back. An ippon can also be awarded when a contestant immobilizes the opponent with a hold down or when the opponent gives up or passes out. Like a knock-out in boxing, an ippon immediately ends the match.
A waza-ari is a throwing technique that shows power and superiority but isn’t clear enough to be an ippon.
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A Shido is a minor infraction for rule violations that don’t result in an immediate disqualification. The caution is issued for violations like extensive passivity, using a technique or maneuver that hinders the development of a waza, or using a technique or maneuver that poses a risk injury to the opponent.
The 27-year-old was the lone member of the six-person Canadian judo squad who wasn’t a member of the Top-10 world-ranking club, number 28 heading in to the competition.
Nonetheless, Guica had designs on becoming an upstart, someone who could be at her best on this particular day but the script wasn’t written with that ending in mind.
“From the beginning to the end, you just always wish you could do more,” Guica said.
Canada's Ecaterina Guica drops opening-round match to Charline Van Snick of Belgium - National Post
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