A Queenstown karate exponent fighting at this month’s junior worlds in Poland feels she could have done better. However, she still finished a respectable 11th out of 44 competitors in her category.

Gemma Thomas, 17, who won golds in South Island secondary schools and Canterbury champs this year, competed in kumite in the 66kg-plus category.

Her first fight was against a Polish girl who went through the comp unbeaten and won gold.

“I think just the nerves got to me that first fight and so it definitely was not my best.

“It was quite a tough fight anyway, even if I was on top form.”

Gemma did qualify for the repechage  to decide the bronze medal, and took first points against a Turkish girl before losing 5-2.

“I was much happier with that second fight, still wasn’t amazing but definitely started off a lot stronger.”

She admits placing 11th “definitely wasn’t bad, but when you’ve worked for so long for a competition and you’ve trained lots, you kind of want to go away feeling like you did everything you could”.

“And I just feel like I definitely could have done better, which is a little bit frustrating, but obviously sometimes that happens.”

A year 13 student at Christchurch’s Rangi Ruru Girls’ School, she had a week-long camp with the New Zealand team in Slovakia before they went to the worlds in Poland’s Bielsko-Biala.

Despite some frustrations, Gemma still says the champs were “a really awesome, crazy experience”.

scoop@scene.co.nz