Judo: Voice scales new heights with Oceania gold medal

A clean throw and Wanganui's Aiden Voice achieved his goal to add an Oceania judo gold to his national medal haul. Photo/Stuart Munro

Wanganui High School student Aiden Voice has added an Oceania judo title to his rapidly filling trophy cabinet.

The 17-year-old won gold in the under 90kg cadet men's division at the Oceania Championships in Auckland last weekend - the blue belt's best result yet.

Coached by Wayne Watson out of the Wanganui Judo Club, Voice already holds the New Zealand cadet over 81kg and the national cadet open weight division titles.

"Aiden deserves this. It was his main mission for the year and he's trained hard for it," Watson said.

"He fought a Tahitian guy in the final in Auckland and won the bout with an impressive clean throw."

Voice said the victory was "a big deal" after narrowly going down in the final of the 2013 Oceania Championship in Cairns, Australia.

"That gutted me, so my main mission this year has been winning this title - this is a big deal for me," Voice said.

During the final Voice said he had tried different tactics that weren't yielding a result until he spotted a gap and snatched it.

"I had been trying certain moves, but they weren't working and then I saw an opening and grabbed it. I managed to lift him and flip him flat on his back and that was probably the deciding factor.

"The win was so important for me, this is my last year in the cadet division."

Voice and fellow Wanganui club mates will now focus on the upcoming North Wellington event being held in the Wanganui High School hall next weekend (May 10-11).

"I will be competing as well as doing a bit of officiating. The North Wellington event should be a great spectacle.

"There will be competitors of all ages and grades from throughout the country here," Voice said.