Gisborne judoka Sydnee Andrews wins silver at Panamerican & Oceania champs

Gisborne's Sydnee Andrews (left) with her silver medal from the Panamerican & Oceania Senior Judo champs held in Santiago. Next to her are gold medallist Beatriz Souza of Brazil and bronze medallists Naomis Elizarde Suarez, of Cuba, and Brigitte Carabali, of Colombia.

To be the best, you have to beat the best.

And Gisborne Judo Club’s latest star, Sydnee Andrews, got the chance to do that at the Panamerican & Oceania Senior Judo champs in Santiago, Chile.

England-based Andrews continued her impressive run on the international circuit by securing a silver medal.

Competing in the female +78 kilograms division, Andrews fought her way to the final with dominant performances.

She scored ippon victories over Canadian Marianna Karas and Cuba’s Naomis Elizarde Suarez to book a gold-medal fight with none other than Paris Olympic Games champion Beatriz Souza of Brazil.

Andrews went into the final ranked over 25 places below world No 2 Souza and put up a strong fight before losing by ippon.

It was Andrews’ third appearance at the continental championships and came just two weeks after she placed fifth at the Dubrovnik Senior European Cup in Croatia, further underscoring her rising profile on the world stage.

Reflecting on her Santiago performance, Andrews said she was “feeling good coming into the weekend” and credited her team coach and fellow New Zealand team members for their support.

Andrews trains with the Camberley Judo Club in the United Kingdom but was home over the summer holidays, during which she trained and helped with coaching at her Gisborne club.

Gisborne head coach Jason King was delighted with Andrews’ showing in Chile and said it augured well as she looked towards qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The now-22-year-old made her Olympic Games debut at the 2024 Paris Games after winning bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Her success and development have seen her become part of High Performance Sport New Zealand’s Tailored Athlete Pathway Support programme, which provides selected athletes with financial backing and performance services tailored to their stage of development.

This support enables her to train and compete at the highest level year-round.

At Camberley in London, Andrews trains full time under head coach Luke Preston.

The centre is a hub for elite international judokas and provides an environment that supports her Olympic aspirations.

She will remain in London for most of the year, returning to New Zealand at the end of the season.

Next on her schedule is the Benidorm European Open in Spain, followed by a four-day training camp as she continues her push to remain in the top end of the world and Olympics ranking lists.