Judo season is just beginning and two Prince George athletes are grappling with the idea of fighting their way to medal podium this weekend at the Quebec Open in Montreal.
Grace Northrop of the Hart Judo Academy and Taylor Schaus of the Prince George Judo Club will represent the city in the weekend tournament, which starts Saturday.
Northrop, 17, who helped B.C. to a fourth-place finish in the team event at the 2015 Canada Winter Games, is entered in the under-21 minus-52 kilogram class. Last year Northrop was in the under-18 age classification. The 16-year-old Schaus is scheduled to compete in the under-18 minus-55 kg class.
Aline Strasdin of the Prince George club and Bruce Kamstra of the Hart Academy are the Team B.C. coaches.
Schaus, who has moved up a weight category, is also entered in the Ontario Open in Toronto on Nov. 7-8. Schaus will take part in the B.C. team training camp at the national judo training centre in Montreal overseen by former Olympic medalist Nicolas Gill.
"The Quebec Open and Ontario Open are two of the biggest events for Judo Canada, apart from the nationals, and it's early in the season so for a lot of the athletes it's going to be their first event of the season," said Strasdin.
"Being early in the season, I just hope (Northrop and Schaus) have strong performances. I know they've been preparing well the last couple months but the east is strong."
Jeremy LeBris, a native of France, has been hired by Judo BC to take over from Kamstra as head coach of the team next spring. He will be in Montreal this weekend to watch the team in action.
The PGJC will host the B.C. Winter Games playdowns on Nov. 14. Several Price George judokas are entered in the Steveston tournament on Nov. 21.
