More success for Sadhbh O'Brien

Second year Loreto, Navan student Sadhbh O'Brien won gold at the Irish International Open Karate Championships at the National Indoor Arena, Dublin at the beginning of September.

Representing the Ireland Wadokai Karate Association she won a strong u-14 +42kg category ahead of Ava Clare in second place after an exciting final.

The victory represented a second successive victory at this grade as she also won the title 12 months ago and was eligible again this year.

There was also a silver medal in the u-14 team event in a tournament that featured competitors from 12 countries with an athlete representing Nepal winning a bronze medal.

Some 729 competitors, boys and girls, were in action at the flagship event for the official national governing body of karate in Ireland. 

She enjoyed success three years ago as a u-10 competitor when she was selected for the Irish team at the 21st Széki Cup organised by the Karate Sportsclub Bátaszék in Hungary.

 At that competition she won gold and silver medals and followed up in October of that year with bronze medals at the CIKA European Championships which was hosted at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght.

 Her double bronze was achieved in individual Kumite (fighting) at u-12 grade and team Kumite when she stepped up to the u-14 grade.

The Loreto student is a member of Meath Karate and is coached by Oliver Carolan and Adrian Collender of BT Fitness, Beechmount Homepark.