European Judo Championships of Uniformed Services Make History in Birmingham
August 24, 2026
This weekend, British Judo proudly hosted the inaugural European Judo Championships of Uniformed Services at the University of Wolverhampton’s Walsall Campus, welcoming judoka from across Europe for the first-ever edition of the championships.
The new event was created to bring together judoka representing Europe’s uniformed services in an international championship, providing a unique opportunity for athletes from the military, police, fire, prison and other emergency services to compete on the European stage while representing both their country and their service.
Athletes from 16 nations travelled to the West Midlands for the historic competition, with 12 individual weight categories contested across the weekend before Sunday’s team event brought the championships to a close.
Austria finished top of the overall medal table, with Great Britain securing second place after an impressive weekend that saw the home team win 2 gold, 3 silver and 5 bronze medals. Hungary completed the top three nations in the standings.
Great Britain’s medallists were:
Gold: Alfie Mitchell (Elite -66kg), Colin Francis (Veterans -66kg)
Silver: Innis Bennett (Elite -66kg), Idris Khan (Elite -81kg), David Ferguson (Veterans -81kg)
Bronze: Gary English (Veterans -100kg), Kenneth Harris (Veterans +100kg), Aidan Galatowicz (Elite -66kg), Jack Ayliff (Elite +100kg), Gary English (Veterans +100kg)
Beyond the results, the championships showcased the values at the heart of judo. A fantastic atmosphere filled the venue throughout the weekend, with competitors demonstrating respect and sportsmanship on and off the tatami, creating a memorable occasion for everyone involved.
A total of 17 European Uniformed Services champions were crowned across the individual categories, with Austria also claiming victory in the team competition.
Full results from the championships are available on JudoManager by clicking here.
The European Judo Union has already confirmed that the next edition of the European Judo Championships of Uniformed Services will take place in Skopje, North Macedonia, in October 2027, and we look forward to seeing the competition continue to grow in the years ahead.
A huge thank you goes to all the athletes, coaches, officials, spectators and volunteers whose hard work and support helped make the inaugural European Judo Championships of Uniformed Services such a success!
