An eight strong GB Judo team has been selected to fight at the inaugural World Championship for Judoka with an Intellectual Disability in Cologne, Germany from 20 – 22 October.

This World Championships, which is being run in partnership between the IJF and INAS-FID*, will see 300 of the top Level 1 and 2 judoka from around the globe going for silverware.

The GB team includes a number of judoka who have fought internationally including at the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles.

-81kg (L1) judoka Christopher Murphy will be one of the leading names in the GB team having won a silver medal in Los Angeles two years ago. The Shettleston judoka is also a consistent medallist on the international stage including gold medals in 2016 at the Open European Special Needs and Dutch Open G-Judo Championships.

Renrukan’s Skye Westwood (-57kg L2) is another to keep an eye out for in Cologne. The 2016 British Judo Inclusion Player of the year recently took home gold at the 2017 Special Olympics GB National Summer Games and also medalled internationally in 2016 at the XVIII Beverwijk Judo Tournament.

Thomas Mawdsley (-66kg L1), pictured above, and Mikey Lomas (-100kg L1) are two more members of the GB team with international medal winning experience and they will be aiming to add to their medal collection in Cologne.

Nikki McDermott (-57kg L2), Joshua Hemsley (-66/-73kg L1), Kyle Jones (-60/-66kg L2) and Shaun Banks (-73kg L2) will make up the rest of the team going out to Cologne. McDermott, Hemsley and Jones all medalled at the recent British Judo Special Needs Championship in Stoke Mandeville.

GB SN Coach Jo Imrie offered her congratulations to the selected athletes and is looking forward to the World Championships next month:

“Congratulations go to the athletes that have been selected to represent Great Britain at the 1st World Championships for Judoka with an intellectual disability in Cologne.

“This is a pinnacle event in recognising our athletes with an intellectual disability. The approval of this event by IJF is a testament to the athletes that shows there is a need for this prestigious event on the world stage.”

Competition will start at 1000 UK time (1100 Local) on Friday 20 October and 0900 UK time (1000 Local) on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 October.

Day One

11:00h Women 48 kg Class 1 & Class 2 Men 60 kg Class 1 & Class 2

11:30h Women 52 kg Class 1 & Class 2 Men 66 kg Class 1 & Class 2

12:00h Women 57 kg Class 1 & Class 2 Men 73 kg Class 1 & Class 2

12:30h Women 63 kg Class 1 & Class 2 Men 81 kg Class 1 & Class 2

13:00h Women 70 kg Class 1 & Class 2 Men 90 kg Class 1 & Class 2

13:30h Women 78 kg Class 1 & Class 2 Men 100 kg Class 1 & Class 2

14:00h Women +78 kg Class 1 & Class 2 Men +100 kg Class 1 & Class 2

Day Two

10:00 Women 48 kg Class 1 & Class 2 Men 60 kg Class 1 & Class 2

Women 52 kg Class 1 & Class 2 Men 66 kg Class 1 & Class 2

12:00 Women 57 kg Class 1 & Class 2 Men 73 kg Class 1 & Class 2

Women 63 kg Class 1 & Class 2 Men 81 kg Class 1 & Class 2

Day Three

10:00 Women 70 kg Class 1 & Class 2 Men 90 kg Class 1 & Class 2

Women 78 kg Class 1 & Class 2 Men 100 kg Class 1 & Class 2

12:00 Women +78 kg Class 1 & Class 2 Men +100 kg Class 1 & Class 2