BENDIGO sisters Jasmine and Janelle Hocking are eyeing off more medals ahead of the 2007 National Taekwondo Championships next month. Jasmine and Janelle have both qualified for the Victoria Taekwondo team that will contest the national championships on September 22 in Adelaide.
The sisters will head into the national championships having already enjoyed a successful 2007, with the highlight being their performances at the World Taekwondo Festival held in Malaysia.

They both won medals at the festival, which attracted competitors from 28 countries.

Jasmine, a grade six student at Kenningtom Primary School, claimed a bronze medal in the 12-year-old girls 34-38kg category.

Janelle took out silver in the 14-17-year-old girls 46-49kg category.

Janelle, who is in Year 8 at Flora Hill Secondary College, also won a medal in the Selangor International Taekowndo Championships, which were held a week after the festival.

Competing in the same category as at the festival, Janelle won a bronze medal.

The sisters qualified for the Victorian team for the national championships after they both won bronze medals at the Victorian championships.

Despite still being young - Jasmine is 12 and Janelle is 14 - competing at the national championships is nothing new for the talented siblings, who are both First Dan Black Belts.

Jasmine has competed at the nationals twice previously, winning a silver and bronze medal in three previous trips.

While their main focus is on the national championships next month, Jasmine and Janelle have also set a goal of qualifying for the Junior World Taekwondo Championships next year.

The sisters clock up about 1100km a week to train three times a week in Melbourne at Joon No's Taekwondo.

Pictures by Brendan McCarthy