JUDO: Two of Australia’s best young Judokas have been selected to compete at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China.

Bryan Jolly, 17 and Naomi De Bruine, 18, will join 90 other young athletes and wear the green and gold when they head to China in August.

Since she first started the sport, De Bruine has gone from strength to strength, with 2013 proving to be an especially exciting year for the Kellyville Ridge local.

De Bruine came second in the +63kg Women’s Cadets at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in January 2013 before following up that performance with a first place finish in the -70kg Cadets at the National Championships.

These results secured her a spot at the 2013 World Championships in Miami, USA, where she finished seventh.

“I still cannot believe it, I’m super excited to take this opportunity and make the best of it. I really see this selection as a reward of my past achievements,” she said.

Now her focus shifts to the YOG, where she hopes to gain invaluable experience that will help build for the future.

“I think being able to compete at this event will have a positive effect on my future career. I believe it will identify my strengths and weaknesses once I fight,” she said.

“Being able to compare your level of judo with other people will give me a great insight into what I have to work on to become better and improve.”

As expected her family is over the moon.

“My family was very happy and excited for me when they found out I got selected. They really support me and the goals I have and would do anything to make my dreams come true”, she said.

Even though De Bruine has experienced international competition before, the YOG presents her with many new experiences.

“I’m also looking forward to meeting other people who have the same ambitions and being able to share stories with them and gain more knowledge,” she said.

Joining De Bruine on the Judo roster is Bryan Jolly, a Victorian young-gun who, in his recent bouts has shown skill beyond his years.

Like De Bruine, Jolly also represented Australia in Miami, where he managed to make it through to the third round. 

Prior to competing in the World Championships, Jolly took out gold in the U/18 50kg and bronze in the U/21 -55kg class at the Auckland Open.

With the YOG in his sights, and a gold medal on his mind Jolly will be training hard to make sure he can continue his impressive form in China. 

For many, the YOG trumps any other event on the horizon.

“In Bryan’s mind this is a bigger event than the world title, this is the biggest event that he could ever hope to have a go at because he’s trying to get into the big Olympics….this means everything to him, this is so important to his career,” Jolly’s father said.

The second summer Youth Olympic Games commence in Nanjing, China on Saturday 16 August and run for 12 days. Judo will take place on days 1-5 at the Longjiang Gymnasium.

Sam Rawlings
olympics.com.au
@AUSOlympicTeam