English Open Champions Crowned!
The University of Wolverhampton’s Sports Campus in Walsall hosted this years English Open on Saturday 29th April with both juniors and seniors taking to the mat on a hectic day of competition.
With over 400 judoka entered throughout the day, it was sure to be a firecracker of a day, filled with high-class judo.
Junior Results – Men
It was the juniors chance to shine in the morning as Joshua Giles took the first gold of the day in the -55kg category with the Coventry fighter beating Mohammad Alip (Ernest Bevan Phoenix) to 1st place. Nathan Gallacher (Samurai) and Toby Sagacio (Australia) shared the bronze medal.
In the -60kg category, Michael Fryer (Rush Judo) picked up Gold with Henry Wakes from Camberley Judo Club narrowly missing out with silver. Bronze medals were awarded to Morgan MacDonald (JudoScotland) and Jack Purliant (Black Dog).
Keiron Smythe (Grimsby) picked up the -66kg gold by defeating Jacob Aldridge (Osaka) with Archie Platt (Osaka) and Joe Lynch (Danderhall) taking home the bronze medals.
Josh O’Connor (Gendros) came out on top against Team Bath’s Adam Bolwell in the gold medal contest in the -73kg while Adam Whitfield (South Brent) and Joshua Awiti-Alcaraz (Enfield) shared bronze.
James Hayes (Bradley Stoke) took home the Gold medal in the -81kg to continue his good run this season. Lewis Widdicombe (South Brent) claimed the silver medal while Joris Lominier (Camberley) and Chandler Hill (Team Bath) taking home bronze.
Thomas Luckus (Ernest Bevan Phoenix) won Gold in the -90kg category, defeating Michale Wensierski (Enfield) in a pulsating final with Tom Nicholls (Beartown) and Louis Plevin (Anglia Ruskin) taking bronze.
Roberts Juzenko (Durham University) and Luke Thomas (The Mat Academy) won Gold and Silver respectively in -100kg while Erik Becker (Germany) and Matthew Boyce (Melbourn) took home bronze.
Junior Results – Women
Sian Bobrowska took the first gold of the day in junior womens section of the day in the -48kg category with the Hardy Spicer fighter beating Jasmine Stringer (Tonbridge) to 1st place. Shannon Tarandij (Huddersfield) claimed the bronze medal.
In the -52kg category, Molly Harvey (Tonbridge) picked up Gold with Sarah O’Gara from Swords, Ireland narrowly missing out with silver. Bronze medals were awarded to Nicole Hillier (Medway Park) and Kiera Bateman (Pinewood).
Darcie Hancocks (Hardy Spicer) picked up the -57kg gold by defeating Lele Nairne (Bradley Stoke) with Bryony Griffiths (Hardy Spicer) and Olivia Reid (JudoScotland) taking home the bronze medals.
Lucy Day (Redbridge) sprung a surprise and came out on top against Junior British Champion Acelya Toprak (Metro) in the gold medal contest in the -63kg while Olivia Spellman (Pinewood) and Lucy King (Budokwai) shared bronze.
Shelley Ludford (Osaka) took home the Gold medal in the -70kg. Chloe Nunn (Bishop’s Stortford) claimed the silver medal with Sophie Clarke (Camberley) and Caitlin Head (Bishop’s Stortford) taking home bronze.
Kira Brown (TNJC) won Gold in the -78kg category, defeating Jade Warr (Pinewood) with Olivia Turner (Samurai) and Gabriela Kuliga (Huddersfield) taking bronze.
Amy Oram (Yate Star) and Chrissie Web (Pinewood) won Gold and Silver respectively in +78kg while Lucy Deeming (Wolverhampton) and Megan Davies (Dudley) took home bronze.
Senior Results – Men
In a high quality mens competition, David Ferguson (JudoScotland) claimed gold in the -60kg category competition with Henry Wakes from Camberley finishing in the runner up spot. Aaron Hales (Grimsby) and Michael Fryer (Rush Judo) claimed the bronze medals.
Albert Westerhoff (JudoScotland) won the -66kg title as he defeated Isaac Gagin from Sajura in the final. Jonathan Dewar (JudoScotland) won the second medal of the -66kg competition with bronze alongside Octavian Nacu (Ireland).
Promising youngster and current British Champion Eric Ham won the -73kg competition as he successfully added the English Open title to his name. Aiden Moffat (JudoScotland) was powerless to stop the Glossop fighter from claiming the gold in the final. Daniel Pacitti (JudoScotland) ensured that JudoScotland claimed a further two medals in the -73kg by finishing in bronze place alongside Oliver Nash.
Colin Oates (Kumo) once again topped the podium in a national competition as he again won the English Open in the -81kg category. Oates defeated British Junior Champion Harry Lovell-Hewitt (Stroud) in the final with James Hayes (Bradley Stoke) and Vladimir Oleinic (Ealing) winning the bronze medals.
Jamal Petgrave (Westcroft) continued his impressive run of form by making the step up from junior competition, to claim his first senior title in the -90kg. Sebastian Green (Wolverhampton University) could not find a way past Petgrave with Thomas Luckus (Ernest Bevan Phoenix) claiming his second medal of the day as he won bronze alongside Vidar Skrettling (Oxford University).
Adam Hall (Team Bath) won gold in the -100kg with Mateja Glusac (Anglia Ruskin) claiming bronze. Valentino Volante (JudoScotland) again placed in a National competition as he followed up 4th place at the British Championships with bronze alongside Petr Samokhin (Camberley). Chris Skelley, a member of the GB Judo Visually Impaired squad, finished in 5th place.
Wesley Greenidge (Enfield) came away with gold in the +100kg category as he defeated Andrew Melbourne (Camberley) in a close-fought final. John Curry (Kodokwai) and Charles Grocock (Huddersfield) finished in bronze medal placings respectively.
Senior Results – Women
Sian Bobrowska (Hardy Spicer) won gold in the -48kg category as she came out on top against Jasmine Stringer (Tonbridge) in the final. Natalie Birkett (Grimsby) and Abbie Davis (Wolverhampton University) won the bronze medals on the day.
Julia Scardone claimed another medal on a productive day for Camberley Judo Club as she took home gold in the -52kg with Sarah O’Gara (Ireland) winning a second silver medal after finishing in the same position in the junior competition earlier in the day.
Malin Wilson (JudoScotland) won gold in the -57kg with Darcie Hancocks runner up from Hardy Spicer. Bryony Griffiths ensured a 2nd Hardy Spicer medal in the category with bronze alongside Chloe Robyns-Landricombe (Team Bath).
Acelya Toprak was able to shrug off the disappointment from finishing runner up in the junior -63kg category by claiming gold in the senior competition. She was able to defeat Greek judoka Ioulietta Boukouvala in the final with Olivia Spellman (Pinewood) and Natasha Glassford (Ealing) in the bronze medal positions.
GB Judo squad member Gemma Howell added another medal to her already blossoming collection of European and National titles as she defeated Ebony Drysdale-Daley (Erdington) in the final of the -70kg category. Shelley Ludford (Osaka) and Chloe Nunn (Bishop’s Stortford) both backed up their gold and silver medals won from the junior competition with bronze medals respectively.
Emma Reid (Redbridge) took home the gold in the -78kg category with Kira Brown (TNJC) in the silver medal position. Gabriela Kuliga (Huddersfield) and Sally Moon (Wolverhampton) both won bronze.
Chrissie Webb (Pinewood) claimed the final gold medal of the day as she defeated Danielle Bynoe (Bacup) in the +78kg with Ronda Crampton-Reid (Navy) in bronze.
