It was a breakthrough performance for North Delta’s Isaiah Gill at the Canadian Judo Championships in Montreal.
Attending nationals for the third time in his young career, the 17-year-old Grade 11 student captured bronze in the highly competitive U18-66kg division.
His weight class was the largest division of the championships with 42 competitors. Gill won three consecutive matches to reach the semi-finals, then rebounded from his only defeat to reach the podium.
Gill earned his spot on the B.C. team by placing third at the provincials, as well Steveston Judo Club’s Pacific International in November. He also qualified for Judo Canada’s Elite Championships back in January but the event was cancelled due to COVID concerns.
Training out of the Abbotsford Judo Club, Gill took up the martial arts discipline when he was five. His competition stream, coupled with his Judo B.C. sanctioned grading in the fall, has him in position to obtain his black belt.
