Sidders Finishes 21st in China as Wushu Campaign Concludes
IslandStats.com
Martial artist Geraldine Sidders has brought her historic World Junior Wushu Championships campaign to a close, finishing 21st in the Girls' Youth Qiangshu (Spear) division in Tianjin.
Following her earlier milestones in the staff and longfist categories, Sidders returned to the mats for her final routine, scoring a 7.37. The result placed her in the middle of a world-class field and secured her status as a legitimate contender on the international circuit after Bermuda’s decade-long absence from the tournament.
Reflecting on the final performance, Bermuda Sanshou Association President and head coach Garon Wilkinson expressed a mixture of pride and technical critique. "I was pleased; there were certain elements of her routine that I felt were strong," Wilkinson noted. "Even her overseas coaches complimented her on her rhythm, which is a key element of Wushu Taolu."
However, the elite nature of the competition meant that minor technical errors were punished heavily by the judges. Wilkinson admitted to some disappointment regarding point deductions on maneuvers he knows Sidders has mastered in training.
"In terms of the deductions, I'm a bit disappointed," he explained. "I feel that overall her staff routine was closer to my expectations, but in competition, you have to be spot on on D-day. While there were improvements in areas where she wasn't so strong, she could have done better in areas where she's been strong all along."
Despite the critiques, the overarching theme of the trip remains one of significant growth. Sidders is still a newcomer to the Group A age division (15-17) and has only been performing these specific high-level routines for a few months. With nearly three years of eligibility remaining in this category, the focus now pivots toward long-term refinement.
"She is still very new to Group A," Wilkinson said. "Considering that she has almost a full three years to be competing with these same routines, we’re obviously going to see lots of improvement. We know the areas we need to work on, and just through correcting those errors, we can pick up a whole additional point."
The Bermudian camp will now return home to begin preparations for the next major milestone on the calendar: the road to the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics.
