GB Judoka set for Cluj-Napoca European Open and São Paulo IBSA Grand Prix
This weekend will see a number of GB judoka compete at the Cluj-Napoca European Open whilst a number of our VI judoka head to Brazil for the São Paulo IBSA Grand Prix.
Commonwealth Games bound Amy Platten, Jemima Yeats-Brown and Sarah Hawkes will all be in action at the Cluj-Napoca European Open
Current U23 Championship bronze medallist Platten enters as the 2nd seed in the -48kg category whilst Yeats-Brown leads the -70kg entries.
Hawkes, who will compete for Northern Ireland when the Commonwealth Games head to the Coventry Arena in August, is seeded 3rd in the +78kg category.
Completing the women’s team is Sian Bobrowska who competes for the first time since March. Bobrowska is seeded 5th.
Sarajevo European Cup bronze medallist Josh Giles is seeded 2nd in the -60kg category. Charlie Young and Mike Fryer both compete in the -66kg following bronze medal performances last time out.
Young picked up a bronze medal at the Sarajevo European Cup last month, whilst Fryer claimed bronze at the Madrid European Open. They are seeded 6th and 7th respectively.
Eric Ham continues his return to competition after injury curtailed his Tokyo Olympic bid. Having last competed in November, Ham head to Romania seeded 8th.
Wesley Greenidge is joined by Andrew McWatt in the +100kg category. Greenidge recently won bronze at the Sarajevo European Cup and is seeded 8th in Cluj-Napoca, whilst McWatt will be looking to improve on his two 7th place finishes at the Sarajevo and Dubrovnik European Cups.
Following events in Antalya and Nur-Sultan earlier this year, São Paulo will host the final IBSA World Grand Prix of the season before the World Championships in Baku, in November.
Connah Anders (-73kg) will be in action on the opening day of competition whilst Evan Molloy, Jack Hodgson and Chris Skelley fight on day 2.
Skelley and Hodgson claimed bronze at the Nur-Sultan Grand Prix, whilst Kirsten Taylor won silver.
At the Nur-Sultan Grand Prix, Paralympic Champion, Skelley and Hodgson both picked up bronze medals in the +90kg category. Hodgson also won silver at the Antalya Grand Prix earlier in the season where Molloy (-90kg) won silver.
Preliminary round action in Cluj-Napoca will start at 7:00 am (BST) on Saturday, and Sunday with Final Block to follow.
In São Paulo Preliminary Round action will get underway at 14:00 (BST) With Final Block to follow at 19:00 on both Saturday and Sunday.
