British Judokas Win Big at Warsaw, Heidelberg, Riga, and Algiers

This past weekend was a triumphant one for British Judo, as a host of our talented athletes secured an impressive haul of silverware from the Warsaw European Open, VI German Open, Riga European Veterans Cup, and the Algiers African Open.

The first event of the weekend was the Warsaw European Open, where 21 British Judoka competed on the international stage in Poland.

Day One saw an outstanding performance from Ben Levy (Budokwai), who claimed his first-ever European Open gold in the -73kg category, a remarkable achievement for the young talent who joined the World Class Performance Programme in late 2024. Adding to the success, Kelly Petersen-Pollard (Hardy Spircer 83) secured a well-earned bronze in the -70kg category, capping off a strong opening day for GB.

The momentum continued into Day Two, with Tatum Keen (Bradley Stoke) earning a superb silver in the -52kg category, while Oliver Barratt (Dragons Academy) battled his way to bronze in the -100kg division. These results rounded off a fantastic medal haul for the team, but there were also standout performances from those who narrowly missed the podium.

Max Gregory (Drake Judo Club), also competing in the -100kg category, finished in 5th place after an intense bronze medal match against his teammate Barratt, who claimed victory on this occasion. Despite just missing out on a medal, Gregory delivered an impressive performance throughout the competition.

Meanwhile, Summer Shaw (Camberley) put in a strong showing in the -48kg category, securing a 7th-place finish in an encouraging result as she transitions into her new age group.

A fantastic start to the competition year, congratulations to all who competed in Poland!

Our VI team had an exceptional weekend in Germany, where our largest-ever squad delivered an outstanding performance, bringing home an impressive collection of medals.

Starting with our juniors, Murray McConnell (Danderhall) claimed gold in the J1 -68kg category, Rico Amediku (Micklefield Judo) secured gold in the J1 -63kg, and Jolene Donaghue (Ray Stevens Academy) took bronze in the J1 -52kg division, an incredible showing from the young talents.

Our Paralympians made their mark, with Dan Powell (Phoenix Judo) dominating the J1 -95kg category to take gold, Evan Molloy (Devizes Judo) securing the top step of the podium in the J2 -81kg, and Jack Hodgson (Grimsby Judo) battling to a Silver in the +95kg category after a hard-fought semi-final against a Paralympic bronze medallist.

Miles Soloman (Oxford Judo) added to the gold tally with a commanding performance in the J2 -70kg category, impressively defeating a Tokyo Paralympic silver medallist on his way to victory. Kirsten Taylor (Tayside Judo) also delivered a strong performance, earning silver in the J2 +70kg division.

The success didn’t stop there; Evie Gormley (Stewart Judo Academy) took silver in the J1 -60kg, Calvin Walker-Hall (Kelmscott Judo) took Bronze in the J2 -70kg, while McConnell added a second medal to his haul with silver in the senior J1 -70kg. Donaghue also returned to the podium, securing silver in the J1 -52kg category.

Congratulations to the entire VI team on an outstanding set of results, with some fantastic performances from those who narrowly missed out on medals as well!

British Judo Veterans added to the medal tally this weekend, securing one silver and two bronzes at the Riga European Veterans Cup.

Adam Stevens (Goole Judo) proved to be a force to be reckoned with, earning silver in the M1 -81kg category and bronze in the M1-3 -81kg category, an outstanding weekend for him. Ashley Parette (Croydon Judo) also brought home a bronze in the M6 -90kg division.

Congratulations to both Adam and Ashley for their excellent performances!

Finally, at the Algiers African Open, three British competitors represented their country. Ashleigh Barnikel (Neyland Judo) and Sidney Tancock (Bishop’s Stortford) faced off in the -48kg bronze medal match, with Tancock taking bronze and Barnikel finishing in 5th place. Chloe Robyns-Landricombe (Team Bath) also impressed, securing a respectable 7th place in the -57kg division.

Congratulations to all of our athletes who competed this weekend!

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