34 British Judo Champions Crowned Following the Return of the National Championships
The British Judo Championships returned this weekend with our Pre-Cadet and Cadet judoka battling it out to be crowned British Champion at the EIS, Sheffield.
Saturday saw our Pre-Cadet Girls and Cadet Boys take to the tatami, whilst Sunday was reserved for our Pre-Cadet Boys and Cadet Girls.
Cadet Boys
The -73kg category was arguably the weight category of the day with some fantastic high energy contests on show. Budokwai’s Ben Levy emerged victorious following a Final contest against Coventry JC’s Eryk Neumann. Luke Davies (Ealing JC) and Eden Heffernan (Pro Judo) completed the podium, taking bronze.
The -66kg category was the most contested with 35 entrants. Mounir Baaziz (Ealing JC) defeated Derek Marczak (Judo Sensei London) to claim gold and be crowned British Champion.
Tonbridge JC’s Kyras Chambers-Edutie continued his 2021 winning streak, after taking gold at the Welsh Open, by adding -55kg gold to the -46kg gold he won back in 2019.
Charlie Ayre (Gateshead JC) entered the -60kg as top seed and certainly lived up to that ranking as he emerged victorious following victory over Noah Gargett (JC Osaka) in the Final.
Hibari Kan JC’s Blake Rodman (-46kg), Alfie Mitchell (Middlesbrough JC, -50kg), Aleksander Stojanowski (Judo Sensi London, -81kg), William Andrews (The Sheffield JC, -90kg) and Daniel Ede(Westcroft JC, +90kg) were also crowned British Champions.
Cadet Girls
Kenady Raine (-57kg) needed just 20 seconds to take gold in the -57kg final. After the Gateshead JC judoka defeated top seed Chloe Link in the semi-final, she threw Sunny Doig (Just Judo) for ippon score in the opening exchanges. There was further success for Gateshead JC as Anya Hassan won the +70kg category.
Not to be outdone by Riane, Olivia Delahunty (Newbury JC), also won her -63kg final inside the opening 25 seconds of the contest, throwing Millie Bayliss (Dragons Academy) to claim the gold medal.
Tonbridge JC claimed a further gold medal as Charlotte Jenman defeated Lola Hodson (Dragons Academy) in the -52kg final.
Emma McCabe (Titan Judo, -44kg), Amelia Alder (JC Osaka, -48kg), Julia Marczak (Judo Sensi London, -70kg) were all crowned British Champions.
Pre-Cadet Boys
Vasiliy Menshykov (Garioch JC, -42kg) was crowned British Champion in the -42kg category, following a Final victory over Oliver Bigger (Pudsey JC).
Archie Strang (Danderhall JC, -46kg) added the British title to the Welsh Open he won earlier this year.
Palavani JC had two British Champions as Nikoloz Shengelia won the -50 kg final and Luka Gigilashvili the -55kg.
There was a home club feel to the -60kg final as Lenny Tancock and Billy Simpson, both Bishops Stortford JK, battled it out for gold with Tancock emerging victorious.
Isaac Callaghan (Destination Judo, -34kg), Evan Anderson (Blyth Juno Michi, -38kg), Asa Ward (Kangei JC, -66kg) Jack Williams (Team Bath, -73kg), Zakaria Zair (Camberley JC, +73kg) were also victorious in their respective weight categories and crowned British Champions.
Pre-Cadet Girls
Eight British Judo champions were crowned on the opening day of the Championships. The -48kg category was the most contested with 12 entrants. Kin Ryu JC’s Lucy Robinson emerged victorious after a Final contest with Zaffira Edwards (Whitburn JC).
It was a battle between east and west in the Final of the -52kg category as Tonbridge JC’s Keira Semetefaced Bradley Stoke JC’s Ellie Shipp. It was Semete who claimed the Gold following a throw for ippon score.
Tees Valley JC had two champions as Evie Church won the -40kg category and Rosey Kett was crowned -44kg champion.
Sara Coni (Mikes JC, -36kg), Lori Buchan (Destination Judo, -57kg), Maya Aubert-Gomez (Ealing JC, -63kg) and Chloe Allen (Bishops Stortford JC, -70kg) were also crowned British Champions.
Next weekend attention turns to our Junior and Senior judoka who will battle it out to be crowned British Champion 2021
