Your preparations are purposeful: training sessions, strength training, training camps and preparation tournaments. At the U21 ranking tournament of the German Judo Federation in early February in Strausberg (Brandenburg), the judoka took a successful second place in the next higher age group in front of the national coach.
The goal of becoming German U18 champion is already being targeted with the West German individual championship. Her success on Saturday (February 17, 2024) in Herne can directly qualify Sveya Konrad for the German Individual Championships in Leipzig at the beginning of March.
But who is the successful athlete? Judo press officer Katrin Rehse interviewed the 16-year-old.
Sveya, you are the second oldest of seven siblings and started judo at the age of five. Because your big brother also does judo?
Sveya Konrad: Yes, exactly, my big brother started it and I always wanted to do what my big brother did. I always copied him.
You still have this special connection to this day. If he can, he will go with you and support you at tournaments. Is he even more important than the local trainer?
Sveya Konrad: That depends on which coach is there. But he and my father accompanied me to Berlin last year. It was a different feeling, standing on the mat with the two of them in the audience. That was simply different compared to the previous European Cups alone with the coaches.
Did you hear the two of them on the mat?
Sveya Konrad: Yes definitely! As loud as they both scream.
In the children’s area, a lot of girls do judo, but my impression is: the older you get, the fewer women are still actively involved, right?
Sveya Konrad: There are still a relatively large number of girls in the children’s sector, but as it goes on and gets older – U15, U18 – there are fewer and fewer. Simply because they either don’t have that much motivation to train or to work hard. Or there are other reasons: you find other sports more interesting. So I don’t think it’s a bad thing to only train with boys. I would argue that it’s even more fun because guys just fight harder. But sometimes I think it might be nice with a few girls my age in the club.
You were in the U15 district squad (Cologne district), you are in the talent development program of the Sportstiftung NRW, you are in the U18 state squad and, since last year, in the youth squad of the national team – what has been your best tournament so far?
Sveya Konrad: So Berlin last year was my highlight. That was my year-end tournament and I came first in the European Cup. That was just – also because my father and my brother were there – very cool. Otherwise I also fought at the European Championships in Portugal last year. That was the first time I flew. The tournament didn’t go well, but everything surrounding it: how we got there impressed me. The surroundings in particular also play a role in the competition. I was very excited, especially at the first European Championships, and you could tell. Then I made too many mistakes on the mat. The surroundings play a big role in the performance.
You train a lot and travel often… You’re in the 11th grade – How do you do school?
Sveya Konrad: I always receive school certificates, so I am exempt. But I have to catch up on all the material that is taught at school. Before I go to training camps or competitions, I have to ask my teachers what they do. Either I have to find out more from my classmates or the teachers give me extra material that I work on on site between units.
Respect – You are disciplined for school and in judo anyway. What is your big goal for this year?
Sveya Konrad: So first of all, fight well throughout the European Cups. Then a European Championship medal to qualify for the World Cup. And then… World Cup gold – that would be nice!
We wish you a lot of success for your sporting year 2024! Sveya is currently 15th in the U18 world rankings in her -63 kg weight class.
Svevarike Konrad – the judoka of TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen this year has her sights set on the German Individual Championships, the European Championships at the end of June in Bulgaria and the World Championships at the end of September in Turkmenistan.
The next dates in the Leverkusen judo calendar:
West German individual championship (U18)
with TSV Bayer 04 judoka: Svevarike Konrad and Lena Beyer and with men Noa Lema-Lefeuvre, Luca Schaff, Sergej Scherer, Niklas Jakobs, Matti Kellerberg, David Topolenko and Timo Küpper
Datum: 17.02.24; Ort: Herne
West German individual championship (U21)
with TSV Bayer 04 judoka: Leonie Wickert, Letizia Koskow, Lena Beyer, Arne Schorn, Elias Radke, Béla Knoth, Abdelhafid Gassa, Ahmad Ahmad, Niklas Jakobs, Leif Schwarz and Björn Konrad
Datum: 18.2.24; Ort: Luenen
Die 1. Men’s team opens with a home fight day 2. Bundesliga-Season (North-West). On March 16, 2024, they invite you to cheer on the Hanover judo team.
Venue: Herbert Grünewaldhalle; Marienburgerstrasse 4; 51373 Leverkusen
2024-02-14 17:58:06
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