The Quebec judo delegation at the 2024 Canadian Elite Senior Championships held in Edmonton on January 13 and 14 included over 200 judokas from across the country. Among them was an athlete affiliated with L'Île-Perrot's Dojo Perrot-Shima, who won a bronze medal. 

At this national competition, held at the University of Alberta Sports Centre, Alex Marineau was entered in the -90 kg category. The Pincourt native said he was satisfied with his performance, even if he's still aiming for the top step of the podium. 

Satisfied despite everything 

" I'm a realist. I've come a long way. In the past, I've won national and international competitions twice too, but in 2018, I fractured my wrist. I had to have an operation. When I came back, COVID arrived and everything was put on pause. Then, when I started competing again after this involuntary break, I tore a ligament in my knee, which forced me to have another operation. Finally, I'm back competing after all that. Of course, I'm always aiming for gold when I compete, but I'm satisfied with the result. I won bronze, but I'm aware that there's still work to be done," he summed up the day after the competition, when he was stuck at the airport with his team-mates after their flight home was cancelled. 

Alex began practicing judo at the age of four, a discipline that has taken him to the four corners of the world for the past ten years. " I've always loved it.It's the only discipline I've ever practiced. It's natural, but at the same time, anyone can end up on the podium if they practice judo seriously. There are sports where you need to have certain physical predispositions to practice, like basketball or field hockey, but in judo, it's accessible to all sizes," he adds. 

What are the athlete's short-, medium- and long-term goals? "Next week, I'm flying to Europe for a few competitions and training in Germany.Then, in 2028, I'd like to take part in the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.That's my goal.Then I'll be approaching thirty," he concludes. 

A good harvest for the judokas 

All in all, the Quebec delegation collected more than half the day's medals, with a grand total of 29 medals, including 8 gold, on Sunday, the second and final day of the Canadian Elite Championships for senior athletes.

In addition to the gold medals, the Quebec delegation took nine silver and 13 bronze medals in the senior category.All in all, the Quebec representatives brought home 48 medals over two days.