British Judoka Celebrate Medals Across Qingdao, Prague and Maintal
September 29, 2025
GB enjoyed a highly successful weekend at the Qingdao Grand Prix, the Prague European Open, and the Meintal European Veterans Tournament, collecting multiple medals. The highlights included Chelsie Giles’ maiden podium of 2025 on her return to competition following the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Qingdao Grand Prix
Emma Reid (Redbridge JC) was the sole British judoka to reach the podium in China, claiming bronze to add to her already impressive 2025 medal haul.
Reid began her campaign with a quarter-final defeat to the eventual co-bronze medallist from Japan, but showed resilience in the repechage. She regrouped to win both her repechage and bronze medal contests, securing her place on the podium.
This marks her fourth medal of the year from just six events, alongside a 5th-place finish, underlining a strong run of form since returning from Paris 2024.
Elsewhere in Qingdao, Kelly Petersen-Pollard (Hardy Spicer 83) finished 7th in the -70kg category, while Max Gregory (Drake JC) also secured 7th at -100kg — both encouraging results in their first outings since early July.
Prague European Open
Tatum Keen (Bradley Stoke JC) delivered the standout result of the weekend for Great Britain, claiming silver in the -52kg category. Keen won her opening three contests before narrowly missing out in the final, matching her best performance of the year after also taking silver at the Warsaw European Open in February.
Charlie Young (Ryecroft JC) secured his place on the podium in the -66kg division, taking bronze. It was his second medal of the season and his best result so far, adding to the silver he won at the Podgorica Senior European Cup.
In her first competition since the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Chelsie Giles (Coventry JC) made an impressive return, capturing bronze in the -57kg category. Giles won four of her five bouts to mark a successful comeback to international action.
Lachlan Moorhead (Cannock JC) continued his strong return from long-term injury in the -81kg category. After a 5th-place finish last week, he improved to claim bronze this time, an encouraging step as he builds momentum on his comeback.
Rory Tyrrell (Camberley JC) also impressed in the same category as Moorhead, finishing 5th.
In the -90kg division, Jamal Petgrave (Westcroft JC) collected bronze after winning four of his five contests, equalling his best result of the year following medals at both the Sarajevo European Open and the Podgorica Senior European Cup.
Jemima Yeats-Brown (Stewart JA) extended her strong run of form, also securing bronze. This marks her second consecutive medal from just two appearances since returning from a long-term injury after the Paris Games.
Rounding out the results in Prague, Shelley Ludford (JC Osaka) claimed her first podium of 2025 with a bronze medal in the -78kg category. This result improves on her previous best this year, a 7th place at the Warsaw European Open.
Maintal European Veterans Tournament
In the -73kg division, Adam Stevens (Goole JC) struck gold in the M1 category, while Adam Green (Red Phoenix JC) added a silver medal in M2, ensuring double podium success at the weight.
Peter Hawes (Swindon JC), continued the medal run with bronze in the -81kg M4 division, before Ashley Parrette (Croydon JC) secured silver in the -90kg M6 category. Parrette also stepped into the +100kg field, where he battled to a 7th-place finish.
The final medal of the weekend came from Joseph Williams (Croydon JC), who claimed silver in the +100kg M7 category to round off a highly successful outing for the British veterans’ team.
Congratulations to all who competed this weekend!
