Four Medals for Great Britain on Final Day of 2026 IBSA European Championships
August 15, 2026
The second and final day of the 2026 IBSA Judo European Championships saw four of Great Britain’s five competing judoka secure medals, with two silver and two bronze medals bringing the tournament to a close in Heidelberg, Germany.
Dan Powell (Ryecroft JC) took silver in the -95kg J1 category, narrowly missing out on retaining his title but adding another European Championships medal to his collection.
The reigning champion began his campaign in the quarter-final against Giorgi Beridze (GEO), producing a dominant performance to secure an ippon victory and book his place in the semi-final.
There, Powell faced Samet Safak (TUR) in a gruelling battle for a place in the final. The 2025 champion came out on top to return to the European Championships final for a second consecutive year, setting up another opportunity to defend his title.
Pavel Selivanov (NPA) stood between Powell and a second successive European crown, but on this occasion it was his opponent who came out on top. Powell nevertheless secured a well-deserved silver medal as he continues his LA2028 qualification period with an excellent start.
Speaking on his result, Powell said: “It hurts a bit, finishing with a silver medal, losing your last fight. But you can’t win them all, and I’m just really proud of the whole squad. We’ve got Dan (English) and a few of the guys winning medals for the first time, and we’ve got exciting times ahead.”
Kirsten Taylor (Tayside JC) also secured a silver medal, taking her best result at this level in the +70kg J2 category and reaching her first European Championships podium.
Receiving a bye through to the semi-final, Taylor faced familiar opponent Ina Kaldani (GEO), whom she has faced on numerous occasions throughout her career. On this occasion, the Scottish judoka came out on top when it mattered most, securing her place in her first European Championships final.
There, she faced Carolina Costa (ITA), but it was not to be for Taylor on this occasion as she took an incredibly well-deserved silver medal and capped off a memorable day in Heidelberg.
Reflecting on her first European Championships medal, Taylor said: “It’s really good, nice to have a medal. I want to thank Teesside Judo, Oxford Judo, the National Lottery, Judo Scotland and British Judo for all the help they give me to get me here.”
Dan English (Tees Valley JC) secured his best result at this level and his first European Championships medal with bronze in the +95kg J1 category.
Opening his campaign against Ramini Kipshidze (GEO), English produced a spectacular performance to take a big win and progress through to the semi-final.
There, he faced Ilham Zakiyev (AZE), taking an early lead before ultimately missing out on a place in the final.
With a place on the podium still to fight for, English produced his best performance of the day against Bicer Gokhan (TUR), delivering when it mattered most to secure a hard-earned bronze medal.
Speaking on his achievement, English said: “I’m really proud and quite emotional. Really glad to be here and looking forward to the next tournament at the Worlds in September. I’d like to thank the Judo Trust for helping me get along to some of these competitions; it’s definitely been helping, and also all the boys from Tees Valley, allowing me to throw them around the mat.”
Jack Hodgson (Grimsby JC) secured Great Britain’s first medal of the day with bronze in the +95kg J2 category, battling through the round-robin format to earn his place on the podium.
Hodgson made an excellent start to his campaign, defeating Alban De Larminat (FRA) and Ilias Magomedov (NPA) in his opening two contests.
He then faced Zviad Gogotchuri (GEO) and Revaz Chikoidze (GEO) in his remaining contests, putting in strong performances against both experienced opponents.
His results saw him secure bronze and a second consecutive European Championships medal, following his silver at last year’s event.
Speaking on his performance in his first competition back since December 2025, Hodgson said: “I’m happy with the result; it’s exactly what I expected from myself today, performing well in the opening two fights. There’s obviously some ring rust, but just happy to do the job and come away with the medal.”
That brings an incredible 2026 IBSA Judo European Championships to a close for the British team, with Great Britain returning home from Heidelberg with a combined five medals across the two days of action.
British Judo’s Head Paralympic Coach Ian Johns said: “I’m so proud of the team – a magnificent performance from all of them. We have prepared really well over the last few months, and the results speak for themselves. The staff out here have worked their socks off, and we couldn’t do it without them.
“It’s not every championship event that you walk away with five medals, and on another day we could have had more. The VI team is going from strength to strength. We have some important events coming up soon, including the World Championships in Tbilisi in six weeks’ time, so we’ll take a few days’ break, and then we go again.”
Congratulations to all eight members of the British squad on an excellent showing in Germany, and to Evan Molloy, Dan Powell, Kirsten Taylor, Dan English and Jack Hodgson on their podium finishes, as well as to British referee Lisa Rivers for representing Great Britain on the international stage yet again.
