GB Judo Preview: 2018 Junior World Championships

The Bahamas is the latest stop this year for the GB Judo Juniors as they look to finish on the medal rostrum at the 2018 Junior World Championships in Nassau from Wednesday 17 to Sunday 21 October.

GB Judo have medalled at the last three Junior World Championships and each member of the team has medalled at Senior or Junior level in 2018.

Four of the five strong team are making their debuts at this year’s Junior Worlds with Acelya Toprak the only returning member of the 2017 team.

Toprak’s fellow -57kg judoka Josie Steele goes in on good form having won gold at the Glasgow European Open earlier this month.

The Highland Budokan judoka has also medalled at the International Thuringia Cup (silver) and Paks Junior European Cup (bronze) in 2018.

Toprak made her Senior European Championships debut in Tel Aviv earlier this year and she added two more Junior European Cup medals to her tally with gold in Paks and bronze in Lignano.

Shelley Ludford also medalled at the Glasgow European Open with the -78kg judoka taking home silver.

Ludford has only been at the heavier weight category for less than a year but she has already won a number of medals including gold at the Kaunas Junior European Cup and silver and bronze at the International Thuringia Cup and Coimbra Junior European Cup respectively.

Coventry judoka Yasmin Javadian has impressed in her first year at Junior level. She just missed out on a medal at the Junior Europeans in Sofia last month, finishing fifth.

However, Junior European Cup silvers in Coimbra and La Coruna and bronze in Paks have shown that Javadian can medal against some of the best players in her category.

At -90kg Harry Lovell-Hewitt is the sole British men’s fighter this week. The Stroud judoka has had some very impressive performances in 2018 including gold at the Lignano Junior European Cup and silvers in Coimbra and Kaunas.

Competition Schedule

Thursday 18 October: Yasmin Javadian, Josie Steele and Acelya Toprak

Friday 19 October: Harry Lovell-Hewitt

Saturday 20 October: Shelley Ludford

Competition starts at 1600 UK time on Thursday and Friday and 1800 UK time on Saturday with live coverage via live.ijf.org and britishjudo.org.uk.

Follow @BritishJudo on Twitter for live updates throughout the competition and you will be able to find the full draw on ippon.org