Karate: a silver medal and a semi-final in Egypt for two Gatineau women

Silver medalist, Lily-Rose Nolet was only in her second international competition, and her first final. For the occasion, she crossed swords with the local favorite, the Egyptian Helmy Habiba.

I really liked it, it’s magic to be there. I am proud of my fight. I have things to improve, but I’m happy with my performance. It was a very rewarding week for meshe says from her hotel room a few hours after the end of the match.

This defeat deprives the athlete of being able to put an exclamation point on a week that will have been perfect. She had easily disposed of her first four opponents by a cumulative score of 14-0, which impressed her coach, Sensei Rock Guindon.

It’s a feat to do that at such a level. Being a former national team player myself, I have to admit that I have rarely seen thissaid the one who watched the final at the dojo with members of Larouche Karate and relatives of his protege.

In the development process, we didn’t have in mind that Lily-Rose would make the final. We had a few games to win and experiment with. She was able to gain a lot of experience for the next international competitions.

The day before, Hana Furumoto-Deshaies was in action in a very high category, specifies Rock Guindon. The athlete won her first two fights (2-0 against an Egyptian and 2-0 against a Pole).

However, she lost in the third round by a score of 3 to 0 and she could not access the repechage afterwards.

It went well. I managed my mental preparation well, which is always very important in international competitions. I have no regrets. I did the best I could.

Karate, beyond medals

Last February, the two athletes stood out in Calgary, Alberta, by climbing to the top step of the podium. This result allowed them to obtain their pass for the Pan American Games in May.

Hana had won bronze there while Lily-Rose lost in the first round. The latter is happy to have been able to do better. I was happy to catch up and show my worthshe says with satisfaction.

Off the mat, Hana Furumoto-Deshaies also greatly enjoyed her experience in Egypt. It was our first time in Africa, in a completely different environment. It was a shock at firstshe explains.

No matter where we are, we always make sure to eat well, stay hydrated and rest. We also take the opportunity to visit a little. We went to see the pyramids, it gives us a little memoryshe adds with a smile.

A championship in Halifax before the break

Both athletes will return home on Monday. As soon as they have beaten the jet lag, they will focus their energies on preparing for the Canadian Championships which will be held in Halifax in two weeks.

Then, they will take the time to sit down with their trainer, Rock Guindon, to take stock of the months to come.

First, we’re aiming for a podium in Halifax for Hana, Lily-Rose and their colleagues. Then they will be offered a rest before planning for the next year.

There are a lot of big competitions in the fall, notes Hana. We will prioritize what will be important for the Pan American Games and the World Championshipsshe concludes.