Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard, one of the most prominent figures in Canadian and world judo, has retired from competition.
She began to toy with the idea of retirement after the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, and she finally came to her decision this past April.
“People have often said to me that I make a lot of sacrifices for my judo career, and I’ve always told them they were choices, not sacrifices!” she said. “Lately, however, they have started to feel a lot more like sacrifices. That was one of the first hints that made me begin to consider my decision.”
Before retiring, she wished to compete in one final World Championships. At the 2026 Baku World’s, Beauchemin-Pinard had the opportunity to battle it out against two of her biggest rivals, Rafaela Silva (BRA) and Clarisse Agbegnenou (FRA).
With Silva, she had a 3:3 record and in her final battle, Beauchemin-Pinard managed to raise that to 4:3 in her favor. She threw Silva with sumi-gaeshi for a yuko score, pinned her for another yuko and later finished the match by armlocking her with juji-gatame for ippon. It was a masterful performance against a fierce rival.
Against Agbegnenou, her record was 2:7 in the French player’s favor, although it must be said that for the last two matches they had, it was Beauchemin-Pinard who had won it. At the Baku World’s however, Beauchemin-Pinard lost their final battle by yuko in the last five seconds of their match.
“When I shook Clarisse’s hand, I told her it was the last time we’d be meeting up, and I could see in her eyes that she understood I’d be retiring,” Beauchemin-Pinard recalled.
Beauchemin-Pinard has a bronze medal from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and two World Championship silver medals, from 2022 and 2025. She also has eight IJF World Tour gold medals.
As one of Canada’s top judokas, she is being honored in the form of a judo trading card launched by Judo Canada. It is the first in a series of trading cards celebrating top judokas from Canada. This was unveiled on November 5, at the Pan-American Cup in Montréal. 
“Being the first athlete in this collection feels very special! I grew up with hockey cards that featured great athletes, so to find myself on my own trading card today is pretty incredible. It’s a wonderful keepsake, and it comes at a special time in my career, so I’m very grateful,” said Beauchemin-Pinard.
The launch of the first card marks the beginning of a project that aims to showcase several generations of Canadian judokas. Three other athletes have already been identified as potential additions to the collection: Christa Deguchi, Canada’s first Olympic judo champion; Nicolas Gill, two-time Olympic medallist; and Doug Rogers, the first Canadian judoka to win an Olympic medal, in 1964.
Throughout her athletic career, Beauchemin-Pinard always made sure to have a post-career plan. In 2025, she began to work part-time as a tax specialist, while also pursuing a master’s degree to become a chartered professional accountant.
Although Beauchemin-Pinard has no plans to pursue a full-time career in judo, she hopes to give back to Canadian judo in some way. “I definitely want to remain involved in the sport. I want to contribute to Judo Canada’s mission, and I want to help the upcoming generations in a tangible way. I already have a few things in mind—nothing concrete yet—but I’ll certainly find a way to stay involved in judo and support women’s sports,” she said.
