This past weekend, SouthWest Judo Academy was proudly represented at the 2025 Sydney International Open, a key event in Judo Australia’s National Event Series. Competing against some of the country’s and region’s best judoka on Saturday, 1 March, and Sunday, 2 March, our athletes showcased their talent and determination in a highly competitive environment.
Olivia Knights – Junior Women Under 57kg
As the top-ranked athlete in her division, Olivia Knights entered the Junior Women Under 57kg category as the #1 seed and received a bye in the first round. In the semi-final, Olivia faced Mailis Hasles of New Caledonia and executed a slick clock choke to secure a dominant victory.
In the final, Olivia went up against Mackenzie Cook of NSW. Despite a determined effort, she was defeated, securing a silver medal and further cementing her place among Australia’s top junior female judoka.
Georgia Aiesi – Senior Women Under 70kg
Georgia Aiesi represented SouthWest Judo Academy in the Senior Women Under 70kg division. In the opening round, Georgia faced Anais Gopéa of New Caledonia but was unfortunately defeated. She then had a shot at bronze against Taylah Hayes of Tasmania, but despite a strong effort, she was unable to secure the win, finishing in 5th place overall.
Jacob Read – Senior Men Under 66kg
Jacob Read once again proved his skill and resilience in the Senior Men Under 66kg division, fighting through a stacked bracket to reach the final.
- In the opening round, Jacob faced Eric Jang of NSW, his opponent from Canberra International Open’s first round. He found an ippon win with his signature kata-guruma.
- In the quarter-final, Jacob faced Tatalong Hannarong of New Zealand (who had earlier defeated Thomas). Jacob secured victory by scoring yuko with a footsweep before transitioning to osaekomi, pinning his opponent for ippon.
- In the semi-final, he faced Unurmunkh Atarbold, a Mongolian judoka fighting for NSW. Jacob wasted no time, throwing his opponent with kataguruma for ippon within 20 seconds, securing his spot in the gold medal match.
- In the final, Jacob faced Patrik Pinheiro, a Brazilian judoka representing QLD. Despite taking the match close to full time, Jacob was ultimately defeated in ne-waza, placing 2nd overall.
Thomas Knights – Senior Men Under 66kg
Thomas Knights entered the Senior Men Under 66kg division, drawing a tough first-round opponent in New Zealand’s Tatalong Hannarong. After a hard-fought 3-minute match, Thomas was thrown for ippon, resulting in an early elimination in the round of 16. While the result wasn’t what he had hoped for, Thomas gained valuable experience against a high-level opponent.
Cody Robinson – Senior Men Under 66kg, Senior Male Kyu Grades Under 66kg, Veterans M1 Under 66kg
Cody Robinson competed across three divisions, testing himself against opponents from Australia, New Zealand, and Malaysia.
- In the Senior Men Under 66kg, Cody faced Conrad Hynes of New Zealand in the opening round. Despite scoring yuko early, he was ultimately defeated by ippon. In the repechage, Cody faced Yong Voon Cheng of Malaysia but was again eliminated from the tournament.
- In the Senior Male Kyu Grades Under 66kg, Cody went up against Yeon Cho of NSW and Joseph Cruse of TAS, but despite his efforts, he couldn’t secure a win in the division.
- In the Veterans M1 Under 66kg category, Cody fought against William Lum of NSW and Luke Jones of QLD but was unable to find a victory this time.
Despite the results, Cody’s participation across multiple divisions demonstrates his commitment to testing himself against a variety of skilled opponents.
Giulio Gerace – Senior Men Under 73kg
Giulio Gerace competed in the Senior Men Under 73kg division. While he was unable to secure a win this time, competing at this level is an important step in his continued development as a competitor.
With the Sydney International Open now behind them, our athletes are turning their focus to the next major competitions.
Next up is the Fuel to Go & Play Judo WA State Championships, set for Sunday, 30 March, where our judoka will compete for WA’s top domestic honors. Shortly after, some of our competitors will head east once again for the 2025 Melbourne International Open in early April, another key event in the national judo circuit.
SouthWest Judo Academy is immensely proud of all our competitors for their dedication, resilience, and performances in Sydney. Congratulations to Jacob, Olivia, Georgia, Thomas, Cody, and Giulio for representing our club on the national stage!
