GB Judo Team Announced for 2026 World Championships in Baku
August 20, 2026
The British Judo Association is proud to confirm the squad selected for the 2026 Senior World Championships, taking place from 4–10 October 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Charlie Ayre (-60kg) – Tees Valley JC
At just 20 years old, Charlie Ayre will make his Senior World Championships debut in Baku after an impressive transition from the junior ranks to senior competition. He finished fifth at the 2025 Junior European Championships and has continued to make his mark at senior level over the past 12 months.
In 2026, Ayre claimed his first IJF World Tour medal with silver at the Qingdao Grand Prix, while he also won bronze on his Commonwealth Games debut in Glasgow. He has added two further medals on the senior European circuit this year, underlining his rapid progress in the -60kg category.
Michael Fryer (-66kg) – Rush Judo
Michael Fryer will make his Senior World Championships debut in the -66kg category following a strong 2026 campaign. He began the year with a seventh-place finish at the Paris Grand Slam before adding another significant achievement on his Commonwealth Games debut.
Fryer secured bronze in Glasgow to claim his first Commonwealth Games medal and will now take that experience into his first appearance on the World Championships stage.
Charlie Young (-66kg) – Ryecroft JC
Charlie Young returns to the World Championships for the second time, having previously competed at the event in 2023. The Ryecroft JC judoka has continued to compete strongly internationally in 2026, recording seventh-place finishes at both the Lima Grand Prix and Lima Panamerican Open.
His previous World Championships experience will provide valuable insight as he returns to the event in Baku.
Ethan Nairne (-73kg) – Bradley Stoke JC
He also secured seventh place at his first Senior European Championships before most recently adding Commonwealth Games gold on his debut in Glasgow. It has been a breakthrough year for Nairne, who has established himself as a major presence in the -73kg division.
Ben Levy (-73kg) – Budokwai
At just 20 years old, Ben Levy will make his Senior World Championships debut after establishing himself as another exciting young talent in the -73kg category. Levy claimed his first IJF World Tour medal earlier this year with bronze at the Paris Grand Slam, one of the sport’s premier events.
He followed that result by securing silver on his Commonwealth Games debut in Glasgow, giving him two major senior podium finishes already in 2026.
Irakli Goginashvili (-73kg reserve) – Palavani
Irakli Goginashvili has been selected as a non-travelling reserve in the -73kg category. At just 19 years old, he has produced impressive results over the past 12 months and will be ready to step in if required.
Ollie Barratt (-100kg) – Dragons Academy
Ollie Barratt returns for his second Senior World Championships after making his debut at the event in 2025. He heads into this year’s tournament following a fifth-place finish at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, where he narrowly missed out on a podium place.
Barratt will bring the experience of his first World Championships appearance with him as he takes on the -100kg field for a second time.
Max Gregory (-100kg) – Drake JC
Max Gregory will make his first Senior World Championships appearance in Baku after being selected as a non-travelling reserve in 2026. He has enjoyed several strong results this year, including seventh place at the Dushanbe Grand Slam.
His most recent performance came at the Commonwealth Games, where he made his debut for Team England and secured silver, giving him a major podium finish ahead of his debut at the event.
Tatum Keen (-52kg) – Bradley Stoke JC
Tatum Keen returns to the Senior World Championships for the second time after making her debut in 2025, with the 24-year-old having taken several significant steps forward since her first appearance.
Earlier this year she narrowly missed out on a medal at the Grand Prix Upper Austria with fifth place before claiming her first IJF World Tour medal just two weeks later with silver at the Tbilisi Grand Slam. Keen then added bronze on her Commonwealth Games debut in Glasgow, giving her a strong run of results heading into her second World Championships.
Acelya Toprak (-57kg) – Camberley JC
Acelya Toprak will represent Great Britain at her third Senior World Championships and has continued to demonstrate her consistency at the highest level in 2026. She has recorded fifth-place finishes at the European Championships, Tbilisi Grand Slam and Lima Grand Prix this year.
Toprak also produced one of the highlights of her campaign by claiming gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Her repeated appearances in the latter stages of major events underline her ability to compete with the best in the -57kg category.
Chelsie Giles (-57kg) – Coventry JC
Chelsie Giles brings significant World Championships experience to the -57kg category, having competed at the event four times previously. She is a former silver medallist, claiming the podium finish in 2022, while she also finished seventh at the 2019 edition.
Kelly Petersen-Pollard (-70kg) – Hardy Spicer 83
Kelly Petersen-Pollard will compete at her fifth Senior World Championships, adding another appearance at the event to an already extensive international career. She arrives in Baku as a Commonwealth Games champion after securing gold in Glasgow.
Petersen-Pollard has also recorded seventh place at the Grand Prix Upper Austria in 2026 and will draw on her considerable experience at this level as she targets her best result at the event.
Emma Reid (-78kg) – Redbridge JC
Emma Reid has enjoyed an outstanding 2026 and will arrive in Baku as one of the most in-form judoka in the British squad. The -78kg athlete is already a World Championships medallist, having claimed bronze in 2024, and this year secured the first European Championships medal of her career with silver.
Reid has also recorded fifth-place finishes at the Qingdao Grand Prix and Tbilisi Grand Slam before most recently retaining her Commonwealth Games title with gold in Glasgow. With a European Championships medal and Commonwealth Games gold already secured in 2026, Reid will be looking to challenge for a second World Championships medal in Baku.
Kate Howey MBE, Performance Director at British Judo, said: “This is the first World Championships of the Olympic qualification period, and the team selected is a mixture of athletes who have competed at a World Championships before and some for whom this will be their first, so it’s an exciting time for them.
“The team selected have proven themselves by winning medals on the World Tour, so I’m looking forward to seeing how they get on and hopefully seeing them gain some valuable qualification points.”
Congratulations to everyone selected to represent Great Britain at the 2026 Senior World Championships!
