The 2024 Judo National Championships, held from June 7-10 at the Gold Coast Sport & Leisure Centre in Carrara, Queensland, was a remarkable event for the Western Australia (WA) State Team. Despite the considerable economic barrier associated with attending the event, WA had the third-largest representation among the states and territories, with a strong contingent of 90 athletes.
Day 1: Kata
The championships commenced with the kata events, unfortunately, WA did not have any participants in this category on the first day.
Day 2: Under 11s, Under 13s, and Under 15s
Day 2 was a significant day for our younger judokas, who demonstrated their prowess on the tatami. The Under 11s placed 2nd overall, showcasing their strength by securing 5 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 1 bronze medal. Our National Champions in this category were Jordan Lavea (U11 Boys G-9), Alexander Roth (U11 Boys G-10), Kenzie Pedley (U11 Girls G-1 and G-5), and Anouk Van Der Westhuizen (U11 Girls G-4). Additionally, Judah Van Der Westhuizen (U11 Boys G-2) earned a silver medal, and Ray Pearse (U11 Boys G-4) and Ruby Adams (U11 Girls G-4) both secured bronze medals.
The Under 13s also placed 2nd overall, earning 3 gold medals and 2 silver medals. Our National Champions included Cesare Roth (U13 Boys U35 kg) and Carter Brady (U13 Boys U41 kg). Sebastian Van Der Westhuizen (U13 Boys U41 kg) won silver, while Avie McCoy (U13 Girls U32 kg) claimed gold, and Leilah Lavea (U13 Girls U38 kg) earned silver.
Matching the performance of the younger groups, our Under 15s placed 2nd overall, securing 5 gold medals, 1 silver medal, and 4 bronze medals. Our National Champions were Timothy Tan (U15 Boys U55 kg), Jet Leong (U15 Boys O81 kg), Chloe Tournier (U15 Girls U44 kg), Mia Siboni (U15 Girls U48 kg) and Micah Letufuga (U15 Girls O63 kg). Additional medalists included Skarlet Scott (U15 Girls U44 kg) with a silver medal, and Logan McCoy (U15 Boys U36 kg), Oliver Hogarth (U15 Boys U50 kg), Isaac Chinchilla (U15 Boys U60 kg), and Lena Wolak (U15 Girls U40 kg) with bronze medals.
WA also fielded teams in the Under 13s and Under 15s Team Events. Despite starting 3 wins behind in each matchup due to incomplete teams, the Under 13s team, comprising Avie McCoy, Cesare Roth, Leilah Lavea, Carter Brady, Sebastian van der Westhuizen, and Sakura Ochi, clinched a bronze medal. The Under 15s team, including Lena Wolak, Logan McCoy, Joshua Coetzee, Mia Siboni, Aleisha Scott, Oliver Hogarth, Zechariah Navea, and Timothy Tan, fought valiantly but could not secure a win.
Day 3: Cadets, Junior, and Senior Divisions
Day 3 saw the older divisions in action, with exceptional performances across the board. Our cadets achieved 1 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze medal, placing 3rd overall. Hannah McHenry (Cadet Women -70 kg) emerged as a National Champion. Maelie Tournier (Cadet Women -48 kg) and Oren Kelly (Cadet Women -57 kg) both earned silver medals, while Thalia Armstrong (Cadet Women -63 kg) secured a bronze medal.
Dominating their categories, our juniors secured 5 gold, 3 silver, and 1 bronze medal, placing 1st overall. National Champions included Vas Middleton (Junior Men -60 kg), Keishin Ochi (Junior Men -81 kg), Oren Kelly (Junior Women -57 kg), Estela Hogarth (Junior Women -63 kg), and Hannah McHenry (Junior Women -70 kg). Timeo Tournier (Junior Men -66 kg), Kohsei Toyoshima (Junior Men -73 kg), and Maelie Tournier (Junior Women -48 kg) earned silver medals, while Alyssa Fry (Junior Women -48 kg) claimed a bronze medal.
Continuing the trend of excellence, our seniors won 6 gold, 2 silver, and 5 bronze medals, finishing 1st overall with a dominant display. National Champions in this category were Vas Middleton (Senior Men -60 kg), Kohsei Toyoshima (Senior Men -73 kg), Keishin Ochi (Senior Men -81 kg), Ana Flavia Ajuz Ferreira (Senior Women -57 kg), Saya Middleton (Senior Women -70 kg), and Maria Swan (Senior Women -78 kg). Additional medalists included Maelie Tournier (Senior Women -48 kg) who won a silver medal, as well as Jacob Read (Senior Men -60 kg), Timeo Tournier (Senior Men -66 kg), Calvin Knoester (Senior Men -81 kg), Patrick Tichelaar (Senior Men -100 kg), Estela Hogarth (Senior Women -63 kg), and Georgia Aiesi (Senior Women -70 kg), who secured bronze medals.
Day 4: Kyu Grades and Veterans
The final day featured the Kyu Grade (non-black belt division) and Veterans divisions.
Our athletes in the senior kyu grades category secured 2 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze medals, placing 3rd overall. National Champions included Olivia Knights (Senior Female Kyu Grades -57 kg) and Estela Hogarth (Senior Female Kyu Grades -63 kg). Additional medalists were Wai Ting Chan (Senior Female Kyu Grades -63 kg) and Georgia Aiesi (Senior Female Kyu Grades -70 kg) with silver medals, and Alyssa Fry (Senior Female Kyu Grades -48 kg), Emileka Aiesi (Senior Female Kyu Grades -63 kg), and Alexander Vasilyev (Senior Male Kyu Grades -73 kg) with bronze medals.
Our veteran athletes shone brightly, winning 7 gold, 4 silver, and 4 bronze medals, and placing 1st overall. National Champions included Krystal Thompson (Veterans F3 -63 kg), Isabell Richardson (Veterans F3 -70 kg), Joe McCole (Veterans M1 -73 kg), Jacob Lekias (Veterans M3 -90 kg), Martin O’Dea (Veterans M5 -73 kg), Leslie Clarke (Veterans M7 +100 kg), and Thomas Redpath (Veterans M8 -66 kg). Additional medalists were Peter Middleton (Veterans M7 -73 kg), Clement Chan (Veterans M2 -73 kg), Andras Berta (Veterans M4 -81 kg), and Hugo Polankai (Veterans M2 -81 kg) with silver medals, and Mathew Scott (Veterans M2 -73 kg), Danny Wong (Veterans M4 -66 kg), Joe Finley (Veterans M4 -81 kg), and Brendon Shanahan (Veterans M4 -81 kg) with bronze medals.
The veteran kyu grades athletes added to the medal tally with 3 gold and 2 silver medals, also finishing 1st overall. National Champions in this category included Isabell Richardson (Veterans F3 Kyu Grades -70 kg), Mathew Scott (Veterans M5 Kyu Grades -73 kg), and Joe Finley (Veterans M6 Kyu Grades -81 kg). Additional medalists were Collin Kerr (Veterans M3 Kyu Grades -100 kg) and Leslie Clarke (Veterans M7 Kyu Grades +100 kg) with silver medals, and Luciano Danessa (Veterans M5 Kyu Grades -73 kg) with a bronze medal.
Overall Performance
Team WA’s overall performance was outstanding, securing a total of 37 gold medals, 20 silver medals, and 20 bronze medals, along with 10 fifth-place and 4 seventh-place finishes, including the team events. This incredible achievement saw WA match New South Wales in total gold medals, but trail behind slightly in the number of silver medals, placing us 2nd in the overall medal tally.
Jacob Read, CEO of Judo WA, remarked, “These results are a testament to the high-calibre athletes and the excellent training programs within our Western Australian clubs. Our state has firmly established itself as a true hub for high-performance judo in Australia, consistently producing top-tier competitors and demonstrating exceptional skill and dedication on the national stage.”
Full results are available on Judo Australia’s Judo Manager portal here. Event photos can be found at APhoto Studio and RC Sport Photography.
Judo WA extends its heartfelt thanks to Judo Australia and Judo Queensland for organising the 2024 National Championships. We recognise the significant amount of time and effort that goes into these events by volunteers, not just on the day but in the weeks and months leading up to and after the event. Their dedication and hard work are vital to the success of such a large-scale competition.
Special appreciation goes to our dedicated State Coach & Management team: Catia Maia and Kouta Nagamura (Head State Coaches), Luc Tournier, Carlo Knoester, John Commerford, and Shane Rigby (Assistant State Coaches), Melissa Dennehy (State Manager), and Paul Kendrick and Sanja Hogarth (Assistant State Managers). Their commitment and efforts in preparing our athletes, managing logistics, and providing support to our athletes have been instrumental in achieving these outstanding results.
Congratulations to all our athletes, spectators, families, clubs, and the entire Judo WA community. These outstanding results highlight the strength and quality of judo in Western Australia. We look forward to continuing this success in future competitions.
