A SOUTHSIDE Taekwondo champion has arrived home to Dun Laoghaire with a clutch of medals from a high profile tournament in Britain.
Anna Blake, from the Dun Laoghaire-based Taekwondo Tigers, won gold and two silvers at the UK Chungdokwan British Taekwondo Championships.
Competitors from Ireland, the UK and Jamaica travelled to Bristol recently to take part in the weekend-long series of events to determine the winners of the British championships.
Among hundreds of entrants, the 17-year-old Southsider was competing at her first international sparring event.
The highlight of a busy day of competition for Blake was her performance in the Senior Sparring Section.
After a nail-biting contest in the final against an opponent from England’s Future Taekwondo, Blake won 4-2 to be crowned British Taekwondo Champion.
Blake’s tough day began early in the morning with the Poomsae Section, which involved taking to the mat for a sequence of moves requiring flexibility, stances and technique.
After two performances, Blake was awarded silver medal.
Another silver medal was added to the Blake trophy cabinet later in the afternoon after her performance in the Junior Sparring Section, before her triumphant display in the Senior Section.
Speaking after the events, Blake’s coach, Michelle Hogan, said it was a great day for the club.
“It was an honour to compete at such a huge event,
? she said.
“It was Anna’s first international sparring competition and all her hard work in training over the last few months paid off.
“The future looks bright.
?
For information on classes at the Dun Laoghaire Taekwondo Tigers, contact Michelle on 0851488492 or email mhogantaekwondo@gmail.com