François Gauthier-Drapeau

{{Infobox judoka

| name = François Gauthier-Drapeau

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1998|01|27|df=y}}

| birth_place = Alma, Quebec, Canada

| height =

| country = Canada

| weight_class = {{nbnd}}73 kg, {{nbnd}}81 kg

| rank =

| rank_ref =

| dan =

| club =

| olympics_rank = 7

| olympics_year = 2024

| olympics_weight = Men's 81 kg

| worlds_rank = 5

| worlds_year = 2023

| worlds_weight = Men's 81 kg

| regionals_type = AM

| regionals_rank = 1

| regionals_year = 2023

| regionals_weight =

| nationals =

| commonwealth_rank = 2

| commonwealth_year = 2022

| commonwealth_weight = Men's 81 kg

| show-medals =

| medaltemplates =

{{Medal|Country| {{CAN}} }}

{{Medal|G| 2023 Calgary | {{nbnd}}81 kg }}

{{Medal|S| 2024 Rio de Janeiro | {{nbnd}}81 kg }}

{{Medal|B| 2022 Lima | {{nbnd}}81 kg }}

{{Medal|G| 2025 Paris | {{nbnd}}81 kg }}

{{Medal|S| 2024 Antalya | {{nbnd}}81 kg }}

{{Medal|S| 2025 Baku | {{nbnd}}81 kg }}

{{Medal|B| 2021 Baku | {{nbnd}}81 kg }}

{{Medal|B| 2022 Tel Aviv | {{nbnd}}81 kg }}

{{Medal|B| 2023 Paris | {{nbnd}}81 kg }}

{{Medal|B| 2023 Tel Aviv | {{nbnd}}81 kg }}

{{Medal|B| 2023 Antalya | {{nbnd}}81 kg }}

{{Medal|B| 2024 Paris | {{nbnd}}81 kg }}

{{Medal|B| 2024 Tokyo | {{nbnd}}81 kg }}

{{Medal|B| 2016 Cordoba | {{nbnd}}73 kg }}

{{Medal|S| 2022 Birmingham | {{nbnd}}81 kg }}

| updated = 15 February 2025

}}

François Gauthier-Drapeau (born 27 January 1998) is a Canadian judoka who competes in the men's 81 kg category and formerly in the 73 kg category.{{cite web|url=https://www.judoinside.com/judoka/73198/Francois_Gauthier_Drapeau/judo-career|title=Francois Gauthier-Drapeau|work=judoinside.com|access-date=1 July 2022}} Gauthier-Drapeau was born in Alma, Quebec, Canada.{{cite web|url=https://judocanada.org/2022/02/06/francois-gauthier-drapeau-almost-reaches-podium-in-paris/|title=François Gauthier-Drapeau Almost Reaches Podium in Paris|date=6 February 2022|website=www.judocanada.org|publisher=Judo Canada|access-date=2 July 2022|quote=The native of Alma, Quebec}} Gauthier-Drapeau has won multiple medals at the World and Pan-American level.

Career

=Junior=

At the 2016 Pan American Junior Judo Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Gauthier-Drapeau won the bronze medal in the 73 kg category.

=Senior=

After a few years of inactivity due to an injury and the COVID-19 pandemic,{{cite news|last=Emond|first=Janick|date=12 November 2021|title=Judo : François Gauthier-Drapeau a les Olympiques dans la mire|trans-title=Judo: François Gauthier-Drapeau has the Olympics in his sights|language=French|url=https://lelacstjean.com/sports/judo-francois-gauthier-drapeau-a-les-olympiques-dans-la-mire/|work=Le Lac-St-Jean|location=Lac-Saint-Jean-Est|access-date=2 July 2022}} Gauthier-Drapeau returned to competition at the 2021 Judo Grand Slam Paris in the 81 kg category, where he lost in overtime to the then number two world ranked Matthias Casse of Belgium.{{cite news|language=French|trans-title=François Gauthier-Drapeau stands up to world number 2|date=17 October 2021|title=François Gauthier-Drapeau tient tête au numéro 2 mondial|url=https://www.lapresse.ca/sports/sports-de-combat/2021-10-17/judo/francois-gauthier-drapeau-tient-tete-au-numero-2-mondial.php|work=La Presse|location=Montreal, Quebec, Canada|access-date=2 July 2022}} This tournament marked his first ever Grand Slam. The following month, in his second Grand Slam, Gauthier-Drapeau won bronze at the 2021 Judo Grand Slam Baku.{{cite web|url=https://judocanada.org/2021/11/07/francois-gauthier-drapeau-continues-to-shine/|title=François Gauthier-Drapeau Continues to Shine|date=7 November 2021|website=www.judocanada.org|publisher=Judo Canada|access-date=2 July 2022}}{{cite news|date=6 November 2021|title=Podium en Grand Chelem pour un judoka québécois|trans-title=Grand Slam podium for a Quebec judoka|language=French|url=https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2021/11/06/podium-en-grand-chelem-pour-un-judoka-quebecois|work=Le Journal de Montréal|location=Montreal, Quebec Canada|access-date=2 July 2022}}

Gauthier-Drapeau started the 2022 season with a fifth place finish at the Paris Grand Slam, losing the bronze medal match in overtime. A couple weeks later, Gauthier-Drapeau would win bronze at the 2022 Judo Grand Slam Tel Aviv.{{cite web|url=https://www.rds.ca/amateurs/judo-francois-gauthier-drapeau-remporte-le-bronze-a-tel-aviv-1.15481123|title=François Gauthier-Drapeau remporte le bronze à Tel-Aviv|trans-title=François Gauthier-Drapeau wins bronze in Tel Aviv|language=French|date=18 February 2022|website=www.rds.ca|publisher=Réseau des sports (RDS)|access-date=2 July 2022}}{{cite news|last=Hudon|first=Jonathan|date=19 February 2022|title=François Gauthier-Drapeau médaillé de bronze malgré un nez en sang|trans-title=François Gauthier-Drapeau bronze medalist despite a bloody nose|language=French|url=https://www.lequotidien.com/2022/02/18/francois-gauthier-drapeau-medaille-de-bronze-malgre-un-nez-en-sang-22d979807dca59795c4178b82e757e8b|work=Le Quotidien|location=Saguenay, Quebec, Canada|access-date=2 July 2022}} In April 2022, at the combined 2022 Pan American-Oceania Judo Championships in Lima, Peru, Gauthier-Drapeau won the bronze medal in the 81 kg category.{{cite news|last=Cote|first=Marc-Antoine|date=18 April 2022|trans-title=Bronze Pan American Championships for Gauthier-Drapeau and Bouchard|title=Des Championnats panaméricains en bronze pour Gauthier-Drapeau et Bouchard|language=French|url=https://www.lesoleil.com/2022/04/18/des-championnats-panamericains-en-bronze-pour-gauthier-drapeau-et-bouchard-2ad8cd26c65ffd02d03d142814fb1ef6|work=Le Soleil|location=Quebec City, Quebec Canada|access-date=2 July 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://olympic.ca/2022/04/16/multiple-medals-for-team-canada-at-pan-american-and-oceania-championships/|title=El-Nahas gold caps six-medal haul in Pan American and Oceanian Judo Championships|last2=Charlebois|first2=Michael|last1=Hodowany|first1=Matthew|date=16 April 2022|website=www.olympic.ca/|publisher=Canadian Olympic Committee|access-date=2 July 2022|quote=Étienne Briand and François Gauthier-Drapeau each won their bronze medal matches in the 81kg category, which allowed them to share the third step of the podium.}} Another fifth finish followed at the 2022 Judo Grand Slam Budapest.{{cite news|agency=Canadian Press|date=10 July 2022|title=Fifth-place finish for Canada's Gauthier-Drapeau at judo Grand Slam in Budapest|url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/2022/07/09/fifth-place-finish-for-canadas-gauthier-drapeau-at-judo-grand-slam-in-budapest.htm|work=Toronto Star|location=Toronto, Ontario, Canada|access-date=9 July 2022}}

Gauthier-Drapeau was named to his first national senior multi-sport event team for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in June 2022.{{cite web|url=https://judocanada.org/2022/06/21/canadian-judo-team-named-for-2022-commonwealth-games/|title=Canadian Judo Team Named for 2022 Commonwealth Games|date=21 June 2022|website=www.judocanada.org|publisher=Judo Canada|access-date=21 June 2022}} In June 2024, Gauthier-Drapeau was named to Canada's 2024 Olympic team.{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/olympics/article-top-ranked-christa-deguchi-named-to-canadas-olympic-judo-team-over/|title=Top-ranked Christa Deguchi named to Canada's Olympic judo team over Tokyo medalist Jessica Klimkait|agency=Canadian Press|date=8 July 2024|work=The Globe and Mail|location=Toronto, Ontario, Canada|access-date=27 June 2024}}{{cite web|last=Fenton|first=Caela|title=Seven Team Canada judokas will hit the tatami at Paris 2024.|url=https://olympic.ca/2024/06/27/seven-team-canada-judokas-will-hit-the-tatami-at-paris-2024/|publisher=Canadian Olympic Committee|date=27 June 2024|access-date=8 July 2024}}