The British Judo Association, the national governing body for British Judo, has announced today the Olympic and Paralympic athletes who have been offered support through its World Class Performance Programme (WCPP) for 2015 – 2016.

Funded by the National Lottery through UK Sport, WCPP selection is based upon the potential to win medals at an Olympic or Paralympic Games and is split into two levels: Podium (for athletes with the potential to medal at Rio 2016) and Podium Potential (for athletes developing towards Tokyo 2020).

British Judo has invited seven athletes to join its Olympic Podium programme and three athletes to the Paralympic Podium programme.  An additional 16 Olympic and two Paralympic athletes have been offered the opportunity to join the respective Podium Potential programmes. In addition to this four players are being offered support in the British Judo ‘G’ Programme which is funded directly by British Judo.

The ‘G programme’ is an investment from British Judo (around £10k per athlete per year) to bridge the gap from the Home Nation programme and the WCPP. All players on the ‘G programme’ receive free accommodation on site, BOA Medical insurance and a Coach led Individual Action Plan (IAP) supported by a Sports Science and Sports Medicine programme with the goal to transfer them onto the WCPP within 12 – 18 months.

British Judo Performance Director Nigel Donohue said: “We’re really pleased to be able to have offered places on the World-Class Performance Programme and we are firmly focused on the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games and have already made a positive start to our preparations towards Tokyo 2020.

“For Rio, we have four players in qualifying positions for the Paralympic Games and are in a good position in the Olympic programme with nine players currently in direct qualification and performances exceeding previous cycles at this stage of qualification. Our WCPP selections reflect our 2016 and 2020 focus and all of our players on the programme will be expected to deliver against a tough performance criteria. Post-Rio, as we start the Tokyo cycle, it is expected that all players on the WCPP, Podium and Podium Potential, will be based fulltime at the British Judo Centre of Excellence.”

“We ensure that we provide world-class support to our players on the WCPP programme to give them the best opportunity to deliver against their agreed goals and the programme’s goals.

“This includes receiving an Athlete Performance Award (APA) and a specifically designed Coach led Individual Action Plan (IAP) for the year with agreed training and competition goals supported by a comprehensive sports science services including Strength and Conditioning and Prehab programmes, Physiotherapy and Medical support, Performance Nutrition, Performance Analysis and Performance Lifestyle support.

“I am delighted as to how our pathway is taking shape and the collaboration with the Home Nation programmes. British Judo has invested in a number of players below the WCPP, the ‘G programme’ who are nominated by the Home Nation programmes, who have transferred onto a fulltime programme at the British Judo Centre of Excellence.

“Positively, four players on this year’s G programme have moved onto the WCPP which is testament to the work of the Home Nation programme and the GB Performance Team.”

British Judo invests 100% of the UK Sport grant on elite coaching, provision of world class training facilities, medical and sports science services, international training camps and competition and major championships team travel to ensure its athletes perform to the highest achievable standards.

PODIUM WCPP

Olympics (7)

Sally Conway (Edinburgh), Nekoda Davis (Ealing), Gemma Gibbons (Metro), Ashley McKenzie (Camberley), Colin Oates (Kumo), Natalie Powell (Irfon), Alice Schlesinger (Not Stated)

Paralympics (3)

Jonathan Drane (Kumo), Sam Ingram (Edinburgh), Chris Skelley (Haltemprice)

PODIUM POTENTIAL WCPP

Olympics (16)

Philip Awiti-Alcaraz (Enfield), Ebony Drysdale-Daley (Erdington), Kelly Edwards (Wrekin Star), Chelsie Giles (Coventry), Sam Hall (Ryecroft), Eric Ham (Glossop), Gemma Howell (Wolverhampton / Team Bath), Amy Livesey (S.K.K), Bekky Livesey (S.K.K), Neil MacDonald (Not Stated), Stuart McWatt (Garioch), Jodie Myers (S.K.K), Lubjana Piovesana (Bishop Challenor/Hardy Spicer), Lucy Renshall (S.K.K), Max Stewart (Stewart Judo Academy), Jemima Yeats-Brown (Ryecroft)

Paralympics (2)

Natalie Greenhough (Kin Ryu), Jack Hodgson (Grimsby)

British Judo’s ‘G’ Programme

Michelle Boyle (Edinburgh Dynamic), Lele Nairne (Bradley Stoke), Daniel Powell (Wolverhampton), Kelly Staddon (Ford)