Powell River’s young judo phenom has brought home a medal from an international competition.
Abby Lloyd, 15, won a bronze at the U17 and U20 Pan-American Championships in Cali, Colombia on Friday, September 8. She was part of the Canadian judo team.
Lloyd, who competed in the U17 tourney, came away with a record of three wins and one loss. She beat the Venezuelan competitor in her final bout.
Lloyd arrived home on Monday, September 10 and said the event was a good experience. “Not only did I learn more about judo, I learned more about myself,” she said. “I became way more comfortable travelling with the team. The mental aspect is very big aside from the physical.”
All her fights were tough, Lloyd said. “There were no points, but I did go to judge’s decision, meaning I was the aggressor,” she said. “They were very good competitors, but I’m happy with my performance and I’m glad I can bring home a medal for Canada.”
Lloyd’s father, Jeff, said her ratio of three wins and one loss was the best of the tournament, a record she shared with one other Canadian judoka. “Everybody else had a lesser wins ratio, so Abby’s win ratio was way up there,” he said. “We’re really proud of her. We couldn’t be more happy.”
This year, Lloyd said, she will be competing in U20 events. “I’ll be at the bottom of the age division, but I have been fighting U20 since I started fighting U17, so it won’t be something out of the ordinary for me,” she said.
Lloyd’s next tournament is the Quebec Open in October. “Hopefully, I can bring home another medal from there,” she said. “My ultimate goal is 2016 in Rio de Janeiro for the Olympics.”
Lloyd also has her sights set on the 2013 Judo National Championships, which will be held in July at the Richmond Olympic Oval. “I’m looking forward to hopefully medaling again,” she said. “It would be great to get a medal on home turf.”
Lloyd said she was happy with her performance in Colombia. “I look forward to doing more international tournaments and taking things one step at a time in hopes to get to the Olympics,” she said.
