19-strong squad selected for 2011 European Championships

A 19-strong British squad will compete at the 2011 European Championships from 21 – 23 April in Istanbul, Turkey.

The 2011 event represents the first time the continent’s premier judo competition has permitted two athletes per weight category, having been introduced at the World Championships in September 2010.

Seven women have been selected with Athens Olympian Sophie Cox campaigning at -52kg while Gemma Howell fights at -57kg.

Faith Pitman and Sarah Clark will contest the -63kg category while Megan Fletcher and Gemma Gibbons will both fight at -70kg. Sarah Adlington sees action at +78kg.

Twelve men have been picked as European u23 Champion Ashley McKenzie joins James Millar in the -60kg category.

Craig Fallon and Colin Oates fight at -66kg while Daniel Williams and Jan Gosiewski battle at -73kg.

2010 European Championship bronze medallist and world number four Euan Burton is in action at -81kg along with Tom Reed.

Winston Gordon and Matthew Purssey will look to make a mark in the -90kg category while James Austin will compete at -100kg. Chris Sherrington is the final selection at +100kg.

Britain will also participate in the team championships on Sunday 24 April with entrants to be selected during the individual event. Five women and five men will see action in the one-day competition.

Head Coach Patrick Roux said: “We’ve just completed a 10-day Olympic Training Camp in the Czech Republic as 28 countries took part. The European Judo Union launched the Olympic Training Camp programme at the British Judo Performance Institute in Dartford last year to prepare European judoka for 2012.

“We are now heading to a camp in France where we’ll be joined by judoka from Belgium and Switzerland.

“As with the World Championships in September last year countries are able to enter two competitors per weight category at the European Championships which I think makes the event stronger. It’s interesting for us as the event will be one of the last opportunities for players to stake a claim towards selection for the Olympics next year.

“I think it’s important to say that while we can now enter two competitors in each weight at the World and European Championships, we can only enter one judoka per category at the Olympics.”

© David Finch
Euan Burton at the 2010 European Championships