A national team member since 1993, Luce Baillargeon guaranteed herself at spot at the Olympic Games in women's 52 kilograms by placing seventh at the world championships last fall in Birmingham, England. She competed despite a severe stomach illness which kept her stationed near the bathroom in between bouts.

  Baillargeon, 23, is an established veteran on the international scene and one Canada's top female judokas for the past several seasons. She made her first impact on the judo world stage at the 1994 world junior championships with a silver medal performance. She was named the top junior athlete at the Montreal and Quebec sport awards in 1995 and last year she was a finalist as Quebec's top international female athlete. Baillargeon receives a $10,000 annual sponsorship from Calgary Flames' forward Rene Corbet under a program where several Quebec NHL players donate money to a foundation which helps amateur athletes.

2000 Games
Sept. 17: Luce Baillargeon, St-Thomas-D'aquin, Que., won first match in second-change repechage, but lost second match, eliminated.


2000 Games Judo Coverage