British Judo announce 15-strong World Championship Team

The British Judo Association has named a 15-strong team for the 2011 Senior World Championships in Paris, France, from 23rd to 27th August.

The annual event celebrates its 28th edition and is the final World Championships before the Olympic year, in which the event will return in 2013.

Judo’s much-anticipated showpiece event will again permit two places in each weight category for each country, but this year Head Coach Patrick Roux has been selective as the Performance Programme gears up to the 2012 Olympic Games.

After the 2011 European Championships, the Performance Directorate reviewed the results and performance of all players and decided to pre-select four players.

The selection included 2010 World Championship bronze medallist, Scotland’s Euan Burton – one of the titans of British Judo – who is currently ranked 6th in the World in the under 81kg weight category.

Sophie Cox (U52kg) and Colin Oates (U66kg) both secured their places on the team with a number of notable performances and results this year, which included bronze medals at the 2011 European Championships in Istanbul.

The fourth player to be pre-selected was former European Champion Sarah Clark in the under 63kg weight division, who’s 2011 profile boasts a bronze medal at the Lisbon World Cup and gold at the Miami World Cup.

The rest of the team were selected against a criterion of performances and results at 2011 IJF Events.

Former four-time European Champion Karina Bryant - one of the sport’s most prolific medallists - will join Sarah Adlington in the over 78kg competition once again. And with two European Cup medals under her belt, under 63kg fighter Faith Pitman will also compete.

Olympians Craig Fallon and Winston Gordon will take centre stage in Paris in their respective weight categories. Gordon, who has competed in six Senior World Championships, will be joined on the fourth day of competition by Sally Conway, who finished in fifth place at the 2009 Rotterdam World Championships.

After making his inaugural appearance at the Championships in 2010 having moved up a weight division, James Austin will again compete in the under 100kg competition and is the only heavy-weight male selected for GB. James Millar missed out on a spot in the European Championships this year due to injury but recently confirmed his form with a bronze medal at the 2011 Tallinn World Cup.

Three younger members of the British squad including Daniel Williams and U23 European Champion Ashley McKenzie, both aged 22, and Gemma Howell, aged 21, have retained their places on the team after showing great potential over the last year. Elsewhere Gemma Gibbons continues rehabilitation on her shoulder and misses the event.

British men’s and women’s teams will also compete in the World Team Championships, which takes place on Sunday 28th August.

Margaret Hicks, British Judo’s Performance Director, said: “One year out from the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games, we have selected a team of players for the 2011 World Championships who have either medalled at Olympic Qualifying tournaments, or are close to this level.  

“We have had some great performances recently and we are confident going into the Championships that we have players who are capable of reaching the finals to contend for medals.

“Our players are on a positive pathway and have had an excellent preparation so far. However no-one should underestimate the challenge of the Paris Worlds, with double the amount of competitors in most weight categories, it is a tough competition like no other. The 2011 Worlds will provide a good marker ahead of next year's Olympic Games, which of course is our main objective.”

Watch a preview video on the team's preparations here.