Fifteen British Judo Junior Champions Crowned
Saturday saw the EIS Sheffield play host to the British Judo Junior Championships as the best in British Judo Junior talent battled it out to be crowned British Judo Champion for 2021.
Tatum Keen displayed why she was crowned British Judo Junior Female of the Year as she dominated the -52kg category to claim gold ahead of Madeleine Kissenisky.
Keen was joined on the top of the podium by her Bradley Stoke JC teammates Ethan Nairne (-73kg) and Ryan Rijksen-Salman (-90kg).
Nairne (pictured) looked in supreme form all day, in what was a highly competitive -73kg category, with 37 entrants. Nairne took each content in his stride before eventually defeating last weekend’s Cadet bronze medallist Luke Davies in the Final.
Rijksen-Salman meanwhile arrived in Sheffield with some big throws in his armoury. He defeated Bacup JC’s Sam Naughton in the -90kg Final.
Shaun Malazarte is another judoka with a keen eye for a big throw, and he did not disappoint as he topped the -66kg podium following a Final victory over Scottish judoka James Gray.
Niamh Southgate is another judoka who has recently made the step up from the Cadet ranks to the Juniors and made the transition look seamless as she won the -57kg category, winning her Final contest in just 8-seconds in what is her first year in the Junior ranks.
Camberley Judo Club claimed gold medals as Logan Campbell (-81kg) and Simone Cross (-70kg) were both crowned British champions.
There were also two gold medals for Rush Judo as Lewis Fryer won the -60kg category and Alex Jenkins the +100kg category.
Cordelia Gregory added the +78kg title to the -78kg title she won back in 2019, as Grace-Elizabeth Tolley claimed the -78kg title.
Elsewhere Leah Hasler (-48kg), Rachel Jackson (-63kg), Luke Thompson (-55kg) and Jake McKenna (-100kg) were crowned Junior champions.
