British Judo Announces Junior Squads for 2025 European and World Championships
August 05, 2025
British Judo is proud to unveil the athletes selected to represent Great Britain at the upcoming 2025 Junior European Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia (4–6 September), and the 2025 Junior World Championships in Lima, Peru (5–7 October).
These championships represent a key stage in the development of our next generation of elite judoka, providing invaluable experience on the international stage.
Junior European Championships – Bratislava, Slovakia
Men:
-60kg: Charlie Ayre (Tees Valley J.C.) – Coach: Liam Doody
-73kg: Ben Levy (Budokwai) – Coaches: David Mesa Rey / Larry Stevenson
-73kg: Irakli Goginashvili (Palavani J.C.) – Coach: Leo Goginashvili
-81kg: Eryk Neumann (Hardy Spicer 83) – Coach: Fitzroy Davies
Women:
-52kg: Lola Hodson (Dragons Academy) – Coach: Stephen Abberley
-57kg: Chloe Link (Relentless Judo) – Coach: Darren Hawney
-78kg: Nicole Wood (Bishops Stortford) – Coach: Nicole Nunn
Junior World Championships – Lima, Peru
The first stage of selections for the Junior World Championships sees the following judoka confirmed to represent Great Britain:
Men:
-73kg: Ben Levy (Budokwai) – Coaches: David Mesa Rey / Larry Stevenson
Women:
-52kg: Lola Hodson (Dragons Academy) – Coach: Stephen Abberley
-57kg: Chloe Link (Relentless Judo) – Coach: Darren Hawney
-78kg: Nicole Wood (Bishops Stortford) – Coach: Nicole Nunn
Further selections for the Junior Worlds will be confirmed following the Junior European Championships in September.
Charlie Ayre (-60kg) – Ayre placed 7th at the Poznań Junior European Cup earlier this year. In 2024, he claimed bronze in Kaunas and finished 7th at both the Prague Junior European Cup and the Junior European Championships. He secured his maiden international medal last weekend with an impressive performance on home soil as he took home gold.
Ben Levy (-73kg) – Levy has had an incredible year since joining British Judo’s World Class Performance Programme. He’s secured gold medals at the Warsaw European Open, Kaunas Junior European Cup, and Berlin Junior European Cup, alongside a 5th place finish in Poznań and 7th in Graz. Levy also made his senior European Championships debut this year, gaining invaluable experience at a young age. He fell just short of picking up another medal last week in Walsall as he finished in fifth place.
Irakli Goginashvili (-73kg) – Another standout in this category, Goginashvili has claimed gold at the Prague, Poznań and Walsall Junior European Cups, bronze medals in Podgorica and Malaga. He looks to be developing a host contested domestic rivalry with Levy and he will be looking to make his mark in his second Junior European Championships.
Eryk Neumann (-81kg) – A promising athlete within British Judo’s World Class Performance Programme, Neumann has secured one medal so far this year at the Kaunas Junior European Cup.
Lola Hodson (-52kg) – Since joining British Judo’s World Class Performance Programme in late 2024, Hodson has enjoyed an impressive 2025 season. She’s secured silver in Kaunas and Walsall, bronze in both Poznań and the Tunis African Open, and topped the podium with gold at the Tunis Junior African Cup.
Chloe Link (-57kg) – One of GB’s most in-form judoka, Link is a standout member of British Judo’s World Class Performance Programme. She’s medalled at her last five Junior European Cup events, taking silver in Prague and bronze in Berlin, Kaunas, Poznań and Walsall. With momentum firmly on her side, she’ll be aiming to make it six in a row at the Champs.
Nicole Wood (-78kg) – A new addition to British Judo’s World Class Performance Programme, Wood has enjoyed a standout 2025 season on the junior circuit, picking up silver in Kaunas and Malaga, bronze in Istanbul, and a 5th-place finish in Poznań.
Performance Director Kate Howey MBE is looking forward to seeing her young squad taking on the world’s best.
“We are excited to announce a young and ambitious squad for this year’s Junior European and World Championships (with further potential additions to the squad). While this team is still developing, many of these athletes have already shown they can step onto the international stage and perform under pressure.”
“We’ve seen them win medals in some of the toughest competitions on the circuit, and these events will be another crucial step in their journey toward senior success. I’m confident that, with the hard work and commitment they’ve shown so far, this squad has the potential to make a real impact in Bratislava and Lima.”
