European Championships – 26th April, Montenegro
‘Being selected to represent Great Britain at my first Senior Major Championships was a huge milestone in my career. I’ve competed at European Championships in different age categories, but this was my debut at the senior level.
I opened the competition with a strong win against a Bosnian opponent. In the next round, I faced a high-seeded Dutch athlete. It was a close, hard-fought match that went to penalties, narrowly going against me. Despite the loss, winning my first fight and performing well at this level earned me valuable world ranking points and confirmed that I can hold my own among the best. Our Performance Director claimed that she was impressed with how well I composed myself, seeing as it was my first Major.’
Grand Slam – 11th May, Kazakhstan
‘In May, I travelled to Kazakhstan for a Grand Slam—my first time visiting the country. It was incredible to see how well-supported judo is there, with packed stands and fans asking for autographs.
On the mat, I won my first bout against an Uzbek athlete after nearly nine minutes of fighting, eventually throwing him for wazari in golden score. In the second round, I faced a Russian opponent and lost by wazari in another tight match. This performance, again, showed I can consistently win at the top level while gaining more ranking points.’
World Championships
‘After a successful five months in my new -100kg weight category, I qualified for the World Championships. I was selected by Team GB as a reserve. The squad was small—just six athletes—with three of us in the -100kg category. But only two athletes are allowed to compete per weight from the same nation.
While I was disappointed not to be given a full spot, being selected is still an achievement, and I’m more motivated than ever to prove I deserve to be the top choice moving forward.’
European Open – 6th July, Estonia
‘Earlier this month, I added to my medal tally with a silver medal at the European Open in Estonia. As the number three seed, I had a favourable draw and fought tactically throughout.
I won my first two matches against athletes from Germany and Lithuania, then threw the number two seed from Ukraine for ippon in just 20 seconds in the semi-final. In the final, I faced a familiar opponent—we were 1-1 in previous matchups. It was a close contest, but I lost by ippon after taking a calculated risk that didn’t pay off. Despite the result, I’m proud of the performance and the continued progress.’
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