GB Junior Squad Ready to Shine at European Championships
September 03, 2025
The Junior European Championships kick off tomorrow in Bratislava, Slovakia, with seven of GB’s top judoka ready to make their mark.
Competing in the -60kg category is Charlie Ayre (Tees Valley JC), a rising talent who has already made his mark on the international stage. He placed 7th at the Poznań Junior European Cup earlier this year before claiming bronze in Kaunas, consistently testing himself against Europe’s best. His breakthrough came in July with a standout performance on home soil, securing his first international gold medal at the Birmingham Junior European Cup. Ayre will now be aiming to carry that momentum into Bratislava.
Ben Levy (Budokwai) will compete in the -73kg category after an outstanding year since joining British Judo’s World Class Performance Programme. He’s claimed gold at the Warsaw European Open, Kaunas Junior European Cup, and Berlin Junior European Cup, alongside strong finishes of 5th in Poznań and 7th in Graz. Levy also made his senior European Championships debut this year, gaining invaluable experience at a young age. Most recently, he narrowly missed out on another medal at the Birmingham Junior European Cup in Walsall, finishing in fifth place.
Joining Levy in the -73kg category is Irakli Goginashvili (Palavani), who has enjoyed a standout year with gold medals at the Prague, Poznań, and Walsall Junior European Cups, as well as bronze in Podgorica and Malaga. Both Goginashvili and Levy are incredibly strong in this category and have faced each other on several occasions, most recently at the Birmingham Junior European Cup. Goginashvili will be looking to make his mark in his second Junior European Championships.
Rounding out GB’s men’s team is Eryk Neumann (Hardy Spicer 83) in the -81kg division. A promising athlete within British Judo’s World Class Performance Programme, Neumann has already claimed a medal this year at the Kaunas Junior European Cup.
Next up is Lola Hodson (Dragons Academy) in the -52kg category. Since joining British Judo’s World Class Performance Programme in late 2024, Hodson has enjoyed an impressive 2025 season, claiming silver in Kaunas and Birmingham, bronze in Poznań and the Tunis African Open, and topping the podium with gold at the Tunis Junior African Cup.
In the -57kg division is Chloe Link (Relentless Judo), one of GB’s most in-form judoka and a standout member of British Judo’s World Class Performance Programme. She has medalled at her last five Junior European Cup events, taking silver in Prague and bronze in Berlin, Kaunas, Poznań, and Birmingham. With momentum firmly on her side, Link will be aiming to make it six in a row at the European Championships.
Rounding out the squad selected for the Junior European Championships is Nicole Wood (Bishops Stortford) in the -78kg category. A new addition to British Judo’s World Class Performance Programme, Wood has enjoyed a standout 2025 season on the junior circuit, claiming silver in Kaunas and Malaga, bronze in Istanbul, and a 5th-place finish in Poznań.
Good luck to the entire squad — we’ll be cheering you on from home!
The draw for the event will be released today at 3pm.
To watch the competition live, visit JudoTV and catch all the action.
