At just 23 years of age, Timothy Meuwsen has established himself as one of Africa's brightest young talents in the under 81 kg category. Born in Pretoria and raised in Rustenburg, he trains at TuksJudo, the University of Pretoria's high performance centre and one of the leading homes of South African judo. Adopted at birth into a multicultural family, Timothy explains that growing up between different cultures shaped not only the person he has become but also the resilience that has carried him through every stage of his sporting journey.
Since 2024 his progress has been relentless. A bronze medal at the African Games in Accra was followed by another bronze at the African Championships in Abidjan in 2025, before everything came together in Nairobi earlier this year. There, he became African champion, defeating Egypt's Abdelrahman Abdelghany in the final, a vastly more experienced opponent who was ranked significantly higher in the world. That victory lifted him into the world's top fifty and confirmed what many had already begun to believe: South Africa had found a genuine contender for the future.
It is therefore no surprise to see Timothy in Qingdao for the first grand prix of his career. More importantly, it marks his first step into the Olympic qualification period for Los Angeles 2028. For many athletes the World Judo Tour seems almost mythical when watched from afar. The lights, the cameras, the great champions, the atmosphere. For Timothy, that distant world suddenly became a reality.
"It's a huge first for me. I've never seen anything like this before and just knowing that I'm here now is incredible. You watch it on JudoTV, but living it yourself is something completely different. It's another dimension."
The International Judo Federation has supported Timothy's participation in Qingdao, giving the young South African the opportunity to begin collecting valuable ranking points while gaining priceless experience among the world's elite. For an athlete coming from a country where funding remains one of the greatest obstacles to international development, opportunities like this can transform a career. The road to Qingdao has already demanded years of sacrifice. The road towards Los Angeles will demand even more. But the most important step has now been taken. Timothy is here.
"I started judo when I was about ten or eleven years old. A friend told me about it and challenged me to come and try. I walked into the dojo and immediately fell in love with the sport. Funding a sporting career is difficult, especially in Africa, so I'm incredibly grateful that the IJF is supporting me and helping me; it's unbelievable. I have a lucky star watching over me."
There is something profoundly moving about listening to him. Nothing feels rehearsed. Nothing sounds calculated. Every sentence reflects the wonder of a young athlete who still remembers exactly where he came from and who refuses to take any opportunity for granted.
"It's a little surreal to be here in China," he admits with another smile. "But at the same time, I feel like this is where I belong. This is my world, even if coming to China has made that world so much bigger."
Walking through the arena with JudoTV commentator Sheldon Franco-Rooks, Timothy gradually discovered the backstage world of international judo. He met members of the IJF family, exchanged greetings with people he had only ever seen on television and suddenly found himself standing alongside former world champion and Olympic medallist Dennis van der Geest, now one of the familiar voices of JudoTV. For a young judoka making his first appearance on the World Judo Tour, it was another unforgettable moment.
Van der Geest spoke to him not as a legend addressing a newcomer, but simply as one athlete speaking to another. "Just enjoy it, have fun. If you're stressed, that's normal, all athletes are. Just remember that when you step onto the mat, the guy standing in front of you is stressed as well. Just go out there and give everything you've got. From 'hajime' to the final 'mate', anything is possible. Just go for it!”
Timothy listened carefully before nodding. "Yes, there is some stress involved but I believe that as soon as I'm on the mat, it will disappear."
Perhaps that is the beauty of every first grand prix. Rankings matter. Results matter. Olympic qualification matters. But before any of that comes the emotion of arrival; the moment a young judoka walks into an arena he has only ever seen through a screen and realises that he has earned his place. Timothy Meuwsen has not yet written the biggest chapters of his story but here in Qingdao, surrounded by the very best in the world, the first pages of that new chapter have finally begun.