For Ryoko Tamura, going to Sydney means winning the gold medal. Nothing more than that, and nothing less.

Since shocking the world by winning the Fukuoka International Championships in 1990 when she was just 15 years old, Tamura has been the reigning queen of the women's 48-kg category, not only in Japan where judo was born but also throughout the world.

She has won nearly every major international competition, including 10 straight victories at the Fukuoka competition and four consecutive triumphs in the World Championships. Only one goal has eluded her so far -- an Olympic gold medal.