16-Medal Triumph for GB at the Velika Gorica Get Together Tournament
May 12, 2025
From a dominant medal haul at the Velika Gorica Get Together Tournament to promising performances at the Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam, and valuable experience gained at the Gori Senior European Cup, British judoka at all levels enjoyed a busy and rewarding weekend of international competition.
Great Britain delivered a strong performance at the EJU Velika Gorika Get Together Tournament over the weekend, finishing third in the overall standings with a total of 16 medals: nine gold, two silver, and five bronze.
British judoka earned multiple podium finishes across junior and senior divisions in Croatia, with notable success in all categories.
In the SEN L2 Men’s categories, Braydon Robus secured first place in the -60 kg division, while Sean Allan took the gold in the -73 kg division.
In the SEN L1 Men, Joshua Hughes claimed first place in the -73 kg division with a dominant performance. Liam Mooney triumphed in the -81 kg division, and Patrick Kimber earned gold in the SEN L5 Men’s G-3. Additionally, Craig Edwards took first place in the SEN L3 Men’s G-6.
Jacobean Edwards had a strong performance across categories, earning silver in the SEN L1 Men’s -81 kg and bronze in the SEN L1 Men’s -73 kg.
In the SEN L1 Men’s +100 kg division, Henry Harding earned the bronze medal, while Finley Scarlett claimed third place in the SEN L4 Men’s G-5.
Liam Mooney also finished fourth in the SEN L1 Men’s -73 kg, and Jonas Vaitekunas secured fourth in the SEN L4 Men’s G-5, showing competitive spirit despite narrowly missing out on a medal.
In the SEN L1 Women’s -57 kg, Skye Westwood triumphed, claiming the gold with an excellent performance. Siobhan Lloyd secured the bronze in the same division, showing great effort throughout the event.
In SEN L3 Women’s, Libby (Elizabeth) Turner fought hard for the bronze, earning third place in the G-1 category. In SEN L4 Women’s, Georgina Grayson took silver in the G-1 division, narrowly missing out on gold.
Sophia Robus had an outstanding weekend, claiming first place in both the U15 L5 Men’s G-2 and U15 L4 Men’s G-3 categories, showcasing her skill and potential for the future.
Liam Mooney finished fourth in the SEN L1 Men’s -73 kg, while Jonas Vaitekunas earned fourth in the SEN L4 Men’s G-5. Both athletes displayed determination and competitiveness throughout their matches, even though they narrowly missed out on a podium finish.
Congratulations to all who competed in Croatia!
In Kazakhstan, three elite British judokas competed at the Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam.
While none of them secured a podium finish on this occasion, they each faced world-class opposition and gained valuable experience on the international stage.
The standout performance came from Ethan Nairne (Bradley Stoke), who impressed in the early rounds of the -73kg category. He opened his campaign in the round of 64 with a commanding victory, defeating his Kazakhstani opponent via ippon in under two minutes. Maintaining his momentum, Nairne repeated the result in the round of 32, once again winning by ippon in under two minutes.
Despite a strong effort, Nairne’s run came to an end in the round of 16, but his performance showed great promise for future competitions.
Tatum Keen (Bradley Stoke) and Max Gregory (Drake JC) were unable to progress past their second rounds, but both gained important exposure and experience competing against some of the top judokas in the world.
Finally, Lewis Fryer (Rush Judo) was the sole British representative at the Gori Senior European Cup in the -66kg category. Still in the early stages of his transition into the senior divisions, Fryer was unable to progress beyond his opening round.
Nevertheless, the experience of competing at this level provides valuable exposure and learning opportunities as he continues to develop within the senior ranks.
