Sydnee Andrews, from the Gisborne Judo Club, has won another bronze medal in a European Open event in Madrid, Spain. She had entered this competition as part of her build-up towards the Commonwealth Games, and was the only athlete from New Zealand in it.
Competitors from 46 countries took part.Gisborne Judo Club coach Jason King, who coached Andrews from the age of five, said she seemed to be going from strength to strength and was looking good going into the Games in Birmingham (from July 28 to August 8).
Her bronze came after she dominated a British opponent who would be in her division at the Games, King said. Andrews is back training in London for a few weeks before she heads back to Spain for a week at an international training camp.
Nineteen-year-old Andrews — she turns 20 on December 15 — is the daughter of Michelle Lexmond and Darren Andrews and younger sister to Alex.
Andrews competes in the over-78-kilogram division and gained a top-16 finish at her first European tournament, in Poland this year. She followed that up with a bronze medal in a European Open event in Prague, in the Czech Republic, in March.
