Jemima Yeats-Brown Announces Retirement After Emotional Commonwealth Games Medal
August 05, 2026
Jemima Yeats-Brown has announced her retirement from elite judo, bringing the curtain down on an outstanding international career after securing a bronze medal at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The Team GB and Team England judoka closes her competitive career on her own terms, ending a journey that has seen her represent Great Britain on the world’s biggest stages and become one of the nation’s most accomplished female judoka.
Yeats-Brown departs the sport as an Olympian, a two-time World Championships fifth-place finisher across two different weight categories, a five-time medallist on the IJF World Tour, and the first judoka to win three Commonwealth Games medals.
Reflecting on her decision, she said:
“The Commonwealth Games were the final chapter of my elite career – a decision made with clarity and respect for my body and future.
“At the start of the year, I decided this was how I wanted my career to end.
“After years of competing on the biggest stages, I’ve learned that being able to continue isn’t the same as needing to. I’ve lived the dream I once would have given anything for.
“I competed at the Olympic Games, finished fifth in the World Championships twice in two different weight categories, won Grand Prix and Grand Slam medals and became the first ever judoka to win three Commonwealth Games medals.
“These are achievements I carry with pride, knowing exactly what it cost to get there. I never wanted to look back on my career and wonder how far I could have gone.
“I stayed when it was hard and rebuilt the dream over and over when it was broken.”
Her final appearance in Glasgow proved a fitting conclusion, as she stepped onto the Commonwealth podium once more to claim bronze and complete an extraordinary chapter in British Judo history.
Choosing to retire while still performing at the highest level was a conscious decision for the 31-year-old.
“I’m probably the happiest I’ve been in judo and that’s exactly why this feels like the right time to stop. I’m happy, I’m settled, and I still love this sport.
“It sounds strange, but being happy in judo is what’s helped me realise it’s the right time. I’m not burnt out or running away – I’m choosing to leave while the sport still means everything to me. Very few athletes get to choose their ending; most careers end with injury, deselection or the system deciding for you. This ending is mine, and it means the world.”
As she reflected on an elite career spanning more than a decade, Yeats-Brown paid tribute to the people who supported her throughout her journey.
“Thank you to everyone who stood in my corner and sometimes quite literally carried me through. Thank you to every physio, doctor and surgeon who gave me one more comeback.
“Thank you to my mum and dad – every time it felt like there was no way back, you helped me find one. As Glasgow 2026 put it, behind every medal, there was a hug that made it possible.
“Thank you to the coaches I worked with who somehow survived coaching me – Nigel Donohue, Ian Oliver at Ryecroft Judo Club, Max Stewart at Stewart Judo Academy, and Winston Gordon and JP Bell from the National Centre, and finally Jo Banks who has tried to keep my body in one piece throughout my career.”
“Thank you to British Judo, UK Sport, The National Lottery, Team GB and Team England for the backing and belief.
“And finally, thank you to Jamie. You were never just my coach; you were the person I knew I could always turn to and still do. We started my senior journey at Glasgow 2014 and we finished it together in the same stadium 12 years later.
“A five-year-old gymnast dreamed it. A very stubborn judoka lived it.”
British Judo Performance Director Kate Howey paid tribute to Yeats-Brown’s remarkable career and lasting impact on the sport.
“I have watched and been part of Jemima’s journey since she was just 15 years old, and it has been a privilege to see everything she has achieved.
“Her results speak for themselves, but what has always stood out to me is her incredible resilience. Time and again she overcame setbacks, injuries and disappointments, always finding a way to come back stronger. That determination is something every young athlete can learn from.
“Just as importantly, Jemima is a genuinely wonderful person. She has been an outstanding ambassador for British Judo throughout her career, respected by teammates, coaches and opponents alike. We are incredibly proud of everything she has achieved and wish her every success in whatever comes next.”
From the tatami in Glasgow as a teenager in 2014 to the podium in the very same city twelve years later, Jemima Yeats-Brown’s journey has come full circle.
Everyone at British Judo congratulates Jemima on an exceptional career and thanks her for her outstanding contribution to the sport. Her achievements, resilience and commitment have inspired a generation of judoka, and she leaves the tatami as one of British Judo’s most respected competitors.
