Champions new and old were crowned at the 2014 British Championships following a long day of battle on the tatami at the English Institute of Sport (EIS) on Sunday (14 December), writes Donna Richardson.

The competition was fierce as athletes also fought for places on the GB senior squad.  New emerging talent pushed through the ranks as many of Saturday’s junior champions players took to the podium for the second day in a row at senior level.

After finishing all of their International Judo Federation World Tour competitions, 2016 Olympic hopefuls Ashley McKenzie (-60kg) of Camberley, Colin Oates (-66kg) of Kumo, Sally Conway (-70kg) and Sarah Adlington (+78kg) both from Edinburgh, Natalie Powell (-78kg) of Irfon and Ben Fletcher (-100kg) all retained their British Championship titles.

Team Bath’s Jan Gosiewski, Gary Hall (-90kg) and S.K.K’s Owen Livesey (-81kg) also retained their British Championship statuses in winning gold.

Young guns challenge old guard 

Competion was fierce as Tokyo 2020 hopefuls and emerging talent from clubs across the country pushed the more established athletes and some earning places on the Great Britain senior squad.

Kelly Staddon of Ford Judo did the double for gold in both junior and senior competitions, while Helen Forbes of Garioch seized silver in the -48kg category at both events. Bronzes went to Caroline Broadley and Hakirat Sekhon from Ealing – who managed a double bronze at both senior and junior events.

Young Chelsie Giles (-52kg) of Coventry eclipsed her junior result of yesterday with a senior gold. In doing the a medal double she won a place on the 2015 senior squad and toppled last year’s champion and Commonwealth medallist Kelly Edwards of Wrekin Star. Edwards was forced to settle for silver and bronzes went to Commonwealth champion Louise Renicks and Lele Nairne of Kanokwai.

Commonwealth bronze medallist Jemima Yeats-Brown (Ryecroft) fresh from taking junior gold on Saturday was back for bronze on Sunday in the same category. This wrapped up a phenomenal year as she asserted her place as Britain’s junior number one and British senior number three. She has been a consistent peformer all year with medals in Glasgow and at the Junior Worlds. Fellow Ryecroft judoka Sam Hall took -60kg silver medals on both days, securing a place on both squads for the second year in a row. Also in the  -60kg category Lucas Rowe and Pete Miles broke through in the same category as Ashley McKenzie.

More transition from junior to senior was seen in the shape of newly-crowned junior -81kg champion Stuart McWatt of Garioch, who also took a bronze medal and from -70kg Junior champion Ebony Drysdale-Daley of Erdington.

Michelle Boyle of Edinburgh/Dynamic Judo and the Moon twins retained their bronze medals for the second year running. Both were top of the podium the day before.

Amy Livesey (-63kg) of S.K.K, returned from injury to scoop silver, medalling for the first time at the senior British Championships to step up onto the squad. She said: “I’m feeling really good to medal today, it’s even better to do this so soon after after coming back from injury.”

Emma Reid (-70kg) of Redbridge, Lele Nairne (-52kg) of Bradley Stoke. Peter Miles (-60kg) and Lucas Rowe (Hardy Spicer) also took bronze medals.

Overall, Team Bath athletes won the most medals at the senior championships with three golds, four silvers and one bronze. Gold medals came from Commmonwealth bronze medallist and Bristolian Gary Hall (-90kg) who upgraded his 2013 silver medal to a gold at the 2014 British Championships.

Jan Gosieweski defended his -73kg British title for a third time in a row as Ben Fletcher scooped gold for a second year running, following a return from injury.

The 66kg category was dominated by former European bronze medallist Colin Oates of Kumo, with silver awarded to last year’s bronze medallist Nathon Burns of Camberley. There were breakthroughs at number three and four as Jonathan Dwar of Judo Scotland earned a place on the squad for the very first time, as did Liam Ashton-Farr.

Dewar of JudoScotland secured his place on the British squad for the very first time and was absolutely delighted, saying: “I am very happy to medal here today. It means the world to me to medal especially since I am now on the Great Britain squad so I will now be able to access the competitions that will help me to progress in my career.”

Under 81kg Commonwalth Commonwealth champions Owen Livesey and Tom Reed of Devizes took gold and silver, with Livesey retaining his title and Reed returning to his number two spot after missing out last December. Stuart McWatt of Garioch and Lee Shinkin of Camberley were new additions to the category this year, having knocked Max Stuart of Lordswood Budokan and Adam Hoshall off the number three and number four spots.

Edinburgh club’s Sally Conway (-70kg) and Sarah Adlington (+78kg) both retained their titles. In the -70kg class Megan Fletcher came second to Conway, and Emma Reed of Redbridge and Ebony Drysdale-Daley of Erdington/Centre of Excellence, took the bronzes.

In the +78kg class Ashley Fleming of Shettleston broke through for a place on the squad and Michelle Boyle of Edinburgh/Dynamic maintained her number three spot while Lois Brown of Grimsby earned the other bronze.

Natalie Powell of Irfon (-78kg) also won for the second year in a row. Kirsty Guest of Grimsby followed in number two and the Moon twins, after rising to the top of the junior category yesterday maintained third and fourth spot with Sally securing the first bronze and Rachel the second.

Under 57kg British Senior Champion Nekoda Davis rose to the top of the podium for the second year running, and Jodie Caller of Renzoku settled for silver while Connie Ramsay of Edinburgh/Invergordon and Stephanie Inglis of Highland Budokan earned bronze.

Nekoda made her breakthrough in January 2013 with a bronze for a place on the squad became British Champion in December 2013 and now repeating her success again in 2014, she is a clear role model for youngsters to emulate.

She said: “It feels good to win again. It is important, because this is the British championships and I am expected to do well. The pressure on to win and retain the number one spot. It has been a good day. I am happy with my judo and will continue work hard towards my goals for the next year.”

And with Royal Marine Chris Sherrington no longer contending for the +100kg title, Theodore Spalding-McIntosh was able to break through to win gold, Neil Schofield of Pryford taking the silver for the second year in a row. Andrew Melbourne of the RAF broke through as did young Valentino Volante as they both took the bronze. Last year Matthew Bryce of Whitburn and Samsun Omonua of Pinewood were number three and four.

Speaking about the day’s performances, Lead women’s coach Kate Howey said: “It has been a good day, we have had a lot of older players get knocked off the rostorum due to the younger players so that is very good from our point of view and marks the end of a great year in terms of qualifying for Rio.”

Interim men’s coach Jean Paul Bell added: “This has been a fantastic year and we are looking forward to 2015. The Olympic qualification period points will count in full this year so we are looking forward to this year. We have seen some interesting matches today. I am proud of everyone who fought. Congratulations to all of our medallists at the British Championships and everyone who took part.”

There was a special treat as VIP guest and London 2012 Champion and World medallist Kayla Harrison presented some of the medals, along with Olympic silver and bronze medallist Kate Howey and Sarah Hopkins Masters Champion among others.

Congratulations to everyone who made the event so successful. Below are your 2014 British Championship medallists.

MEDALS

 

Under 60kg

GOLD Ashley McKenzie Camberley

SILVER Samuel Hall Ryecroft

BRONZE Peter Miles Bradley Stoke

BRONZE Lucas Rowe Hardy Spicer 83 

Under 66kg

GOLD Colin Oates Kumo

SILVER Nathon Burns Camberley

BRONZE Jonothan Dewar JudoScotland

BRONZE Liam Ashton-Farr Ryecroft

 

Under 73kg

GOLD Jan Gosiewski Team Bath

SILVER Jack Smith East Yorkshire Judo Academy Edinburgh

BRONZE Connor Ireland WJA Academy

BRONZE Colin MacDonald Sporting Judo

 

Under 81kg

GOLD Owen Livesey S.K.K

SILVER Tom Reed Devizes

BRONZE Stuart McWatt Garioch

BRONZE Lee Shinkin Camberley

 

Under 90kg

GOLD Gary Hall Team Bath

SILVER Samuel Potts Gosport

BRONZE Andrew Burns Shadsworth

BRONZE Eliot Stewart Judo Academy

 

Under 100kg

GOLD Benjamin Fletcher Pinewood/Team Bath

SILVER Adam Hall Team Bath

BRONZE Conor Murphy Team Bath

BRONZE Ruslan Rancev Mold

 

Over 100kg

GOLD Theodore Spalding McIntosh

SILVER Neil Schofield Pryford

BRONZE Andrew Melbourne RAF

BRONZE Valentino Volante JudoScotland

Under 48kg

GOLD Kelly Staddon Ford

SILVER Helen Forbes Garioch

BRONZE Caroline Broadley Barnstaple

BRONZE Harkirat Sekhon Ealing

 

Under 52kg

GOLD Chelsie Giles Coventry

SILVER Kelly Edwards Wrekin Star

BRONZE Louise Renicks Kanokwai

BRONZE Lele Nairne Bradley Stoke

 

Under 57kg

GOLD Nekoda Davis Ealing

SILVER Jodie Caller Renzoku

BRONZE Connie Ramsay Edinburgh Club Invergordon

BRONZE Stephanie Inglis Highland Budokan

 

Under 63kg

GOLD Alice Schlesinger

SILVER Amy Livesey S.K.K

BRONZE Jemima Yeats-Brown Ryecroft

BRONZE Jodie Mullen JudoScotland

 

Under 70kg

GOLD Sally Conway Edinburgh Judo Club

SILVER Megan Fletcher Pinewood

BRONZE Emma Reed, Redbridge

BRONZE Ebony Drysdale-Daley Erdington

 

Under 78kg

GOLD Natalie Powell Irfon/WJA Academy

SILVER Kirsty Guest Grimsby

BRONZE Sally Moon Wolverhampton

BRONZE Rachel Moon Wolverhampton

 

Over 78kg

GOLD Sarah Adlington Edinburgh Club

SILVER Ashley Fleming Shettleston

BRONZE Michelle Boyle Edinburgh/Dynamic Judo

BRONZE Lois Brown Grimsby