Gisborne's Sydnee Andrews (in blue) in the senior women's +78 kilograms final against Estonian teenager Emma-Melis Aktas at the Tallinn European Open. Andrews won, claiming a career-first European crown. Photo / European Judo Union
Gisborne's Sydnee Andrews (in blue) in the senior women's +78 kilograms final against Estonian teenager Emma-Melis Aktas at the Tallinn European Open. Andrews won, claiming a career-first European crown. Photo / European Judo Union
Another tournament, another milestone on the burgeoning career path of Gisborne judoka Sydnee Andrews.
Andrews struck gold at the Tallinn European Open in Estonia at the weekend.
Competing in the senior women’s +78-kilograms division, the 22-year-old defeated defending champion and hometown favourite Emma-Melis Aktas in the final.
It was Andrews’first European crown and she sent out a short but telling statement of intent on her Facebook page afterwards, posting “more to come”.
The European Open featured 305 competitors from 34 countries.
Andrews’ category featured five judoka and she went in with a world ranking of 26 – the best of the quintet.
Judoka Sydnee Andrews proudly wearing her gold medal after winning the senior women's +78 kilograms title at the Tallinn European Open in Estonia. Photo / European Judo Union
She made no contest of her opening-round fight against Belgium’s Gabrielle Bouvier, winning it quickly with an ippon.
That put her straight through to the final against Aktas, a teenager who went into the tournament on the back of a fifth placing at the senior world championships in Budapest.
