British Veterans Secure 18 Medals at 2025 European Championships
June 03, 2025
It was a spectacular end to May for a large contingent of British veteran judoka, who delivered an outstanding performance at the European Judo Veterans Championships in Riga, Latvia, bringing home an impressive haul of 18 medals across the competition.
GB now boasts four new European Champions, each having firmly established themselves among the continent’s elite in their respective divisions.
Colin Francis (Peterlee Judo Club) finally stood atop the podium, claiming the gold medal he had narrowly missed in both 2023 and 2024. After earning back-to-back silver medals, Francis struck gold in the M3 -60kg category, cementing his status as one of GB’s most consistent and accomplished veteran athletes. His persistence and determination have truly paid off, and we can’t wait to see what he achieves next.
Samantha Chraniuk (High Wycombe JC) also earned top honours, becoming European Champion in the F3 -63kg division after a dominant showing on the tatami.
Shaun Mark Mitty (Westcliff Judo) added another major title to his résumé, capturing gold in the M6 -90kg category. Meanwhile, Sian Carr (Pinewood JC) rounded out the gold medal winners, triumphing in the F1–3 -78kg ne-waza division.
The team’s silver medal tally was equally impressive. Sian Carr led the charge once again, adding to her gold with a silver in the F3 -78kg category, securing an outstanding second medal of the week.
Charmaine Alford made a remarkable debut at the European Championships, claiming silver in the F1 -57kg division, a fantastic way to announce herself on the international stage.
Laura Plumridge (High Wycombe JC) earned silver in the F1 -70kg category, while Kay Andrews (Matsumachi JC) also reached the podium with silver in the F9 -70kg division.
Danielle Batt (Windsor JC) added a ne-waza silver to her collection in the F1–3 -78kg category, alongside a bronze in the F2 -78kg, an outstanding double-medal performance.
On the men’s side, Andrew Melbourne (High Wycombe JC) was the sole silver medallist for GB, earning his place on the podium in the M2 +100kg division.
With four gold and six silver medals already secured, the success continued as GB added an impressive eight bronze medals to their tally.
In the M2 -66kg category, Kyle Perry (Shuzoku JC) climbed from a 7th-place finish last year to a well-earned spot on the podium, taking home the bronze.
Adrian Besly (Havering JC) also improved on last year’s performance, moving up from 7th to secure bronze in the M8 -73kg division.
In the women’s events, Natasha Glassford (Ealing JC) claimed bronze in the F2 -63kg category, while Ria Jones (Neyland JC) earned a podium place in the F3 -63kg division. Joining them in the -63kg success was Caroline Brayson (Pudsey JC), who secured bronze in the F1–3 -63kg ne-waza category.
Tasha Mathias (Sanshirokwai) added to the medal count with bronze in the F1 -70kg division, capping off a strong showing for the women.
On the men’s side, the final bronze went to Ben Westcott (Ealing JC), who delivered a top performance to take third in the M1–3 -100kg ne-waza category.
While the medal count may have ended there, many British judoka still delivered impressive performances in Riga, narrowly missing out on podium finishes but deserving recognition for their efforts.
Tibor Banyai (Honto Judo) in the -73kg, Stephen Preece in the -100kg, and Antony Sayers (Leicester JA) each finished 5th in their respective categories, coming agonisingly close to the medals.
Several others secured 7th-place finishes in highly competitive divisions, including Caroline Brayson in the -63kg, Frazer McBeath (Alness JC) in the +100kg, James Lewis (Medway Park JC) in the -73kg, Ben Westcott in the -100kg, and Tasha Mathias in the -78kg, across both standard and ne-waza formats.
The championships concluded with spirited team competition. The MF40 mixed team, consisting of Ria Jones, Craig Robbins (Leicester JA) and Sian Carr battled through to a strong 5th-place finish, just shy of the medals.
The F30 women’s team, consisting of Charmaine Alford, Natasha Glassford, Caroline Brayson, Laura Plumridge, Tasha Mathias and Danielle Batt, faced a tough draw, ultimately losing to the eventual gold and bronze medallists, demonstrating great fight in a stacked bracket.
The M30 men’s team, represented by Tibor Banyai, James Lewis, Barry Watson (Neyland JC) and Ben Westcott, also faced stiff opposition, falling to powerful squads from Belgium and France, both of whom went on to medal.
Antony Sayers went on to join the Finnish M50 team, where he played a key role in helping them secure a team bronze medal, contributing two crucial wins along the way.
Congratulations to everyone who represented British Judo at the 2025 European Veterans Championships!
