Rachael Hawkes Strikes Gold as British Judoka Impress in Abidjan
December 01, 2025
British athletes delivered a strong set of results across three events this weekend, with standout performances at both the Abidjan African Open, Abidjan Junior African Cup, as well as a top-seven finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam.
Rachael Hawkes (Camberley JC) capped an impressive run of results with a standout gold at the Abidjan African Open this weekend, sealing the title after a gruelling six-and-a-half-minute golden score battle in the final.
Following consecutive bronze medals in Montreal, Lima and the Gold Coast, as well as an earlier gold in Port Louis, she arrived in Abidjan in strong, consistent form and converted that momentum into one of her best results of the year. Starting the weekend ranked 66th in the -70kg category, Hawkes produced a composed, assured performance throughout the day to claim her place on the top step of the podium.
Conall McGivern (The Judo Academy) secured a well-earned bronze at the Abidjan Junior African Cup, closing out his day with a dominant medal contest in which he delivered two yukos and two waza-aris to take control from the outset.
Stepping in at -73kg after a solid seventh-place finish at the Amman Asian Open in August, McGivern carried that confidence into Abidjan and came away with a strong result.
Quinn Armstrong (The Judo Academy) produced a solid day of judo to take silver at the Abidjan Junior African Cup in the -100kg category. Building on his recent seventh-place finish, he used his growing experience at this level to secure another valuable podium result.
Finally, at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam, Acelya Toprak (Camberley JC) finished 7th in an exceptionally strong field — a strong result and a positive way to close out her international competitive season.
Congratulations to everyone who competed this weekend!
