Hayley goes for gold

Hayley Relf showed plenty of steel when she went to Sheffield to compete in the British Schools National Judo Championships '“ and came away with a gold medal.
By The Newsroom
Published 12th Apr 2009, 15:02 BST
Updated 7th Jun 2018, 20:14 BST

Hayley's family, who are all from Hastings, accompanied her on the long trip to Yorkshire, ensuring she had plenty of support on the day. She was competing against the very best talent that the UK's schools have to offer, and she wasn't found wanting.

Representing Bexhill College in the under 57kg category, Hayley knew she would have to progress through four fights if she was to get her hands on the top prize.

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She won her first encounter then was unlucky to lose in her second. Her third contest was another victory. In a quirk of the way the competition is drawn, she met her adversary from the second fight in the final.

Hayley, who is trained by Paul Everest and Kirstie Relf at Westerleigh Judo Kwai, managed to turn her previous defeat into an advantage as she triumphed in the final to become British Schools National Champion in a thrilling fight.

After collecting her gold, Hayley said ""I didn't expect to win gold after seeing the other competitors but felt extremely happy when I did. This is one of my best achievements in judo."

Related topics:SheffieldHastingsYorkshire