Montreal, February 14, 2010 – Joliane Melançon of Blainville, Que., and Kelita Zupancic of Whitby, Ont., both won medals this weekend at a World Cup judo competition in Budapest.

 

On Saturday in women’s 57 kilos, Melançon, ranked 28^th in the world, earned the silver with victories by Ippon in three of her first four bouts. In the other, she scored two Waza-aris.

 

Melançon was particularly pleased with her victory over Corina Oana Caprioriu of Romania, ranked ninth in the world, in the quarterfinal.

 

‘’She beat me two weeks ago in a semifinal (at a World Cup in Sofia, Bulgaria). It was our second meeting and I enjoyed this one more.’’

 

In the final, Aiko Sator of Japan defeated Melançon scoring an Ippon at the halfway mark.

 

The silver medal is a solid finish to her series of three meets in three weeks in Europe.

 

‘’My goal was to come home with a medal,’’ Melançon said. ‘’At the same time, I’m surprised to have done this well.’’

 

 

On Sunday, Zupancic took the bronze in women’s 70 kilos with three wins and a loss. Her only defeat was in overtime to Edith Bosch of the Netherlands.

 

‘’I consider this my best-ever World Cup performance,’’ said Zupancic. ‘’I’ve already won a World Cup medal but this field was stronger. I’m very pleased and it’s something I can build on for next weekend in Germany.’’

 

In the same weight class, Marylise Lévesque lost her only bout and was not ranked.

 

In women’s 78 kilos, Amy Cotton of Judique, N.S., took fifth spot. She won three of her five bouts. Catherine Roberge of Beauport, Que., earned a win and a loss and was not ranked.

 

Bianca Ockedahl and Laurie Wiltshire lost their opening bouts in women’s 48 kilos and 52 kilos respectively.

 

 

At a World Cup in Vienna on Saturday, Nicholas Tritton of Perth, Ont., was fifth in men’s 73 kilos and Sasha Mehmedovic of North York, Ont., seventh in men’s 66 kilos.

 

Tritton won his first three bouts, lost the fourth, triumphed in the repechage then dropped his bronze medal match.

 

Mehmedovic opened with two victories then lost the following two.

 

Frazer Will, Kalem Kachur, Michal Popiel and Alexandre Émond were not ranked in 60, 81, 66 and 90 kilos respectively. Will and Kachur were 1-1 while Popiel and Émond lost their opening bouts.

 

Next weekend Will, Cotton, Lévesque, Roberge and Zupancic compete at a Grand Prix in Dusseldorf, Germany.

 

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Written by Sportcom for Judo Canada