Podium Success and Promising Performances for GB Judoka in Lima and Malaga
October 13, 2025
From Lima to Malaga, Great Britain’s judokas were back on the international stage this weekend, showcasing their ability across two major events.
Lima Grand Prix
It was a weekend of near misses and valuable mat time for Great Britain’s judoka in Peru at the Lima Grand Prix. While no medals were secured on this occasion, the team delivered a series of strong performances, including a pair of top-five finishes, and gained excellent experience, particularly for the younger athletes stepping up to Grand Prix level for the first time.
Irakli Goginashvili (Palavani) impressed once again, building on his bronze medal success at last weekend’s Junior World Championships in Lima. Competing at a Grand Prix for the first time, the -73kg judoka produced an outstanding display to finish 5th in a highly competitive field.
This event marked an important opportunity for Goginashvili to test himself against senior opposition, and to come so close to the podium on debut is a fantastic achievement, and a strong start to his Grand Prix career.
Acelya Toprak (Camberley JC) also claimed a 5th-place finish in the -57kg category, narrowly missing out on a second medal since returning to competition in GB colours. Toprak has shown great form recently, and with two more Grand Prix entries before the end of 2025, her progress will be one to watch.
Across the rest of the GB team, there were solid performances throughout with hard-fought wins, narrow defeats, and most importantly, valuable minutes on the mat.
Malaga Senior European Cup
Sarah Adlington (Edinburgh Judo) was Great Britain’s standout performer of the weekend, securing a silver medal in the +78kg category in Spain.
In doing so, she made a remarkable return to the international stage, earning a podium finish in her first international event in over two years, having last competed abroad at the 2023 Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam.
Holly Devall (Dragons Academy) also impressed, claiming bronze in the -70kg category. This strong result marks her second podium finish of 2025, reflecting her continued progress and consistency on the international circuit.
Both of our medallists will next be in action at the Montreal Panamerican Open, and we look forward to seeing how they perform there.
In the -90kg category, Scott Cusack delivered an impressive performance to finish 5th, battling through adversity in the repechage rounds to earn a place in the bronze medal contest. It was a strong showing for Cusack in just his second international event of the year.
Katie Mills (Camberley JC) also delivered a commendable performance, finishing 7th in the -63kg category. This marks her second top-seven finish of 2025 from only three events, a promising indication of her growing consistency and form.
Elsewhere in Malaga, much like in Lima, there were plenty of positives for the wider GB team, with valuable mat time, competitive matches, and another excellent opportunity for our judoka to test themselves against strong international opposition.
