Judo: Turning golden dreams into reality

Chanel Kavanagh, training with Riley Maguire at the Arataki Community Centre, will represent New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games. Photo / John Borren

Chanel Kavanagh has one constant goal driving her on at her twice-daily gruelling training workouts.

As she hits the judo mat for the umpteenth time, she sees herself standing on top of the podium at the Commonwealth Games, a gold medal around her neck, the national anthem playing and the New Zealand flag being hoisted high.

"Every time I watch it on TV I can imagine myself up there. It is what gets me through my trainings too, imagining that moment as trainings get really hard," Kavanagh said.

That dream may become a reality in a few weeks as Kavanagh is expected to contest the gold medal deciding bouts in the under-49 kilo division at the Glasgow games that begin on July 23.

Kavanagh is ranked number two in the Commonwealth behind Australian Chloe Rayner, who Kavanagh defeated twice at the Oceania Championships held in Auckland in April.

Swimming, track and field, hockey and sevens rugby will dominate pre-games media attention, but it is the small but powerfully built 19-year-old student from Mount Maunganui who is one of our best gold medal chances.

"The gold medal dream is definitely there.

"I have put lots of thought into my opposition but as long as I get out there, use my fitness and don't do anything too silly, then I reckon I will have a good shot," she said.

Kavanagh is part of an 11-strong New Zealand judo team regarded as one of the strongest to compete at a Commonwealth Games.

Olympians Moira de Villers and Timothy Slyfield are the best known, with nine of team ranked inside the top three in the Commonwealth.

"It means so much to get to travel with these guys and train with them too," Kavanagh said. "It is my first major tournament so it will be a brand new experience mixing with all the athletes.

"It will be so cool."

Kavanagh took up judo aged 7 through the Tauranga Judo Club and still helps her father, black belt and former international Kevin Kavanagh, putting today's 7-year-olds through their paces at the impressive Arataki Community Centre.

But Glasgow is never far from her mind and neither is the dream of standing centre stage in what she hopes will be a golden moment.