Tara Murray
Two Commonwealth Games gold medals are on their way back to the Resilience Training Centre in Footscray.
Tinka Easton made a perfect Commonwealth Games debut as she claimed gold in the dying seconds of the final of the 52kg category.
Easton snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Canada’s Kelly Deguchi, winning via Waza-ari in the golden score period.
The 26-year-old said it was something that she had been dreaming of. Easton lives in Maribyrnong.
“It’s something that I’ve been thinking about, it’s very exciting to make it happen,” she told Channel 7.
“I was falling behind… Going into the golden score I just thought I had to refocus and get back into it or I was going to let the match slide.
“[I] just reset and went back to my game plan. I got a bit frantic in the middle, so I went back to focusing on the process and the gripping plan.”
Aoife Coughlan would soon join Easton as a gold medallist, winning the 70kg women’s division.
Like Easton, Coughlan trains in Footscray.
The 26-year-old had Ebony Drysdale Daley on the back foot early on and was able to get the win in the golden score extra period when Drysdale Daley got a third shido penalty handed Coughlan the win in the golden score extra period.
“I knew I had to pick up the pace and push here, make sure I was ahead of the game and make sure she made some mistakes,” Coughlan told Channel 7.
“She is a very tough fighter but I got there.”
Coughlan could finally break focus and celebrate with her family in the stands, some of which had never seen her fight live before.
Kingsville’s Katharina Häecker claimed bronze in the 63kg. She said she was disappointed not to come away with gold.
Häecker made history as one of two Australian judokas to compete at two Commonwealth Games.
Two-time Olympian scored two waza-aris against Jamaica’s Lauren Semple, the second after two minutes and six seconds ending the bronze medal contest.
