13-Strong British Squad Ready for Zagreb Grand Prix
November 12, 2026
A 13-strong British Judo squad will travel to Croatia this weekend to compete at the Zagreb Grand Prix, taking place from Friday 13 to Sunday 15 November 2026.
Charlie Ayre (Tees Valley JC) will compete in the -60kg category, heading to Zagreb off the back of a seventh-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam just a couple of weeks ago. Alongside silver medals at the Qingdao Grand Prix and Sofia European Open, and bronze at the Commonwealth Games, 2026 has been an incredibly successful year for Ayre as he has made the transition from junior to senior competition. He will be looking to continue that impressive form in Croatia.
Michael Fryer (Rush Judo) will compete in the -66kg category, looking to build on a year that has already seen him secure bronze at the Commonwealth Games and finish seventh at the Paris Grand Slam.
Charlie Young (Ryecroft JK) will join him in the -66kg field, returning to competition for the first time since last month’s Senior World Championships. Young will be looking to build on his seventh-place finishes at the Lima Grand Prix and Lima Panamerican Open.
Ethan Nairne (Bradley Stoke JC) will take on the -73kg category, arriving in Croatia full of confidence after an impressive year that has seen him claim his first IJF World Tour gold medal, Commonwealth Games gold and climb to 25th in the world rankings. He will be looking to carry that momentum into Zagreb and challenge for another podium finish.
Ben Levy (Budokwai) will also compete in the -73kg division, looking to build on an impressive start to his senior career, which has already seen him claim Commonwealth Games silver and bronze at the Paris Grand Slam in 2026.
Rory Tyrrell (Camberley JC) is the squad’s sole representative in the -81kg division, returning to competition for the first time since August, when he secured bronze at the Lima Panamerican Open. He has also claimed bronze medals at the Sarajevo European Open and Riga Senior European Cup, alongside a seventh-place finish at the Warsaw European Open. Tyrrell will be looking to build on these performances and make his mark on the IJF World Tour.
Lachlan Moorhead (Penistone JC) will compete in the -90kg category, having already secured a bronze medal in the division at the Hungary Grand Slam following his move up from -81kg earlier this year. With his first World Tour medal at -90kg already secured, Moorhead will be looking to produce another strong performance and challenge for a place on the podium.
Max Gregory (Drake JC) is the first of two British judoka in the -100kg category. He will be looking to replicate the form that saw him claim Commonwealth Games silver and finish seventh at the Dushanbe Grand Slam earlier this year.
Ollie Barratt (Dragons Academy) will join Gregory in the division, targeting another strong performance as he looks to build on his fifth-place finish at the Commonwealth Games.
Ashleigh Barnikel (Team Kaizen JA) will compete in the -52kg category, arriving in Croatia off the back of her best result of the year. Barnikel secured seventh place at the Lima Grand Prix, her best result on the IJF World Tour, and has also claimed bronze at the Tunis African Open and finished fifth at the Mandurah Oceania Open.
Acelya Toprak (Camberley JC) will enter the -57kg division, looking to continue an excellent spell of form. Toprak has claimed gold at the Commonwealth Games and finished fifth at the Senior European Championships, Tbilisi Grand Slam and Lima Grand Prix, before adding a seventh-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam last time out. She will be looking to convert that consistency into another medal in Croatia.
Chelsie Giles (Coventry JC) will also compete in the -57kg category, returning to competition for just the third time in 2026. Having previously competed at the Abu Dhabi and Hungary Grand Slams, Giles will be looking to build momentum and work towards another strong result on the IJF World Tour.
Emma Reid (Redbridge JC) completes the squad as Great Britain’s sole representative in the -78kg category. She heads to Zagreb in excellent form following her bronze medal at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam. This adds to an already impressive 2026 campaign, which has included silver at the Senior European Championships, gold at the Commonwealth Games and fifth-place finishes at the Tbilisi Grand Slam and Qingdao Grand Prix.
Good luck to all 13 British judoka competing in Zagreb this weekend!
