Largest ever British Judo team set for Tbilisi Grand Slam

This weekend sees the International Judo Federation World Tour head to Georgia for the seventh time, but this year with the upgrade to Grand Slam.

A record nineteen British Judo fighters will be in action over the 3-day competition, which is the largest team ever sent to a Grand Slam by Great Britain. Competition starts on Friday, at the Tbilisi Grand Slam, which marks the start of back to back World Tour competitions.

Friday 26^th

There is a strong Coventry Judo Club representation on the opening day of competition with Chelsie Giles joined by younger brother Josh and Yasmin Javadian.

Chelsie (-52kg) competes for the first time since winning the Tel Aviv Grand Slam and is seeded 3^rd.

Josh (-60kg) recently made his senior British Judo debut at the Prague European Open, where he narrowly missed out on a medal, finishing 5^th.

2019 European Junior and U23 Championship bronze medallist Javadian (-52kg) competes for the first time since claiming that European U23 Championship medal.

Also competing on Friday is Acelya Toprak (-57kg), who recently made her Grand Slam debut in Tashkent alongside Grand Slam debutants, Michael Fryer (-66kg) and former European Youth Olympic Festival Champion Amy Platten (-48kg).

Draw

Platten has been drawn against the 2019 Asian-Pacific Champion Yanan Li (CHN) in the opening round.

In the -52kg competition, Chelsie has an opening round bye and will face former European Junior Championship silver medallist Joana Diogo (POR) in Round 2. Whilst Javadian, who also has an opening round bye, will face Shafag Mammadova (AZE) in the second round.

Toprak has an opening round bye before facing 5^th seed, Eteri Liparteliani (GEO) who is a former World and European Junior Champion.

In the -60 kg contest Josh has an opening round match against African Championship bronze medallist Alexandre De Barros E Silva (CPV). Whilst Fryer has an opening round bye and will face world number 6, and 2^nd seeded fighter, Kherlen Ganbold (MGL) in Round 2.

Saturday 27^th

Amy Livesey and Lucy Renshall continue to battle it out to be Britain’s top ranked -63kg fighter and book their ticket to Tokyo for the Olympic Games later this year. Both fighters have shown great recent form with Livesey claiming bronze at the Tashkent Grand Slam while Renshall finished 7^th at the Tel Aviv Grand Slam.

Eric Ham and Daniel Powell compete in the -73kg category. Ham makes his 3^rd Grand Slam appearance of the year, while Powell returns to the World Tour for the first time since 2018, making his second Grand Slam appearance.

Competing in the -70kg category are 2020 Paris Grand Slam bronze medallist Gemma Howell, who is seeded 4^th, and Jemima Yeats-Brown, who continues her return to competition following a knee and elbow injury that kept her side-lined for 20 months.

European Junior Championship bronze medallist, Lachlan Moorhead competes in the -81kg category. Moorhead recently made his senior British Judo debut at the Prague European Open.

Draw

In the -63 competition Livesey, who is seeded 8^th, has an opening round bye and will face Cristina Cabana Perez (ESP) in Round 2. Meanwhile, Renshall will face Seyma Ozerler (TUR) in Round 2, following an opening round bye.

In the -73kg competition Ham has an opening round contest against Tornike Gvitchiani (GEO) whilst Powell faces former World Junior Championship bronze medallist, Georgios Markarian (GRE).

In the opening round of the -70 kg competition, Howell faces Karene Agono-Wora (GAB), while Yeats-Brown faces Doha Masters silver medallist Madina Taimazova (RUS).

Moorhead faces Niklas Bloechl (GER) in the opening round of the -81kg competition.

Sunday 28^th

Max Stewart and Jamal Petgrave compete in the -90kg category. Stewart is competing in his 3^rd Grand Slam this year, whilst former European U23 silver medallist, Petgrave, makes his first appearance since competing at the Dusseldorf Grand Slam back in February 2020.

Harry Lovell-Hewitt makes his World Tour debut in the -100kg category, whilst Emma Reid and Shelley Ludford both make their Grand Slam debut’s in the -78kg category. Reid recently made a medal winning return to competition claiming bronze at the Prague European Open. Ludford finished 7^th in Prague after facing Reid in the Repechage.

Sarah Adlington currently sits 54 world ranking points outside of the automatic qualification places for Tokyo in the +78kg category, but does occupy a Continental quota qualifying position. Adlington competes for the 4^th time this year and her 4^th time in Tbilisi.

Draw

In the -90kg competition, Stewart has an opening round bye before facing 3^rd seed Marcus Nyman (SWE) in Round 2. Petgrave also has an opening round bye and will face 8^th seed Nicholas Mungai (ITA) in Round 2.

Lovell-Hewitt has an opening round bye in the -100kg competition and faces Giorgi Beriashvili (GEO) in Round 2.

In the -78kg competition, Ludford has an opening round bye, and will face 7^th seed, Zhenzhao Ma (CHN) in Round 2, whilst Reid faces 7x African Champion Kaouthar Ouallal (ALG), in the opening round.

Adlington has an opening round contest against Shiyan Xu (CHN) in the -78kg competition.

Action on Friday starts at 05:30am (GMT), 6:00am (GMT) on Saturday and 7:30am (GMT) Sunday.

Final Block is scheduled to commence at 13:00 (GMT) on Friday and Saturday and 14:00 (GMT) on Sunday.

British Judo will bring you a recap of how all your British fighters perform each day and you can follow the action on the British Judo social media channels. You can also watch the action live on the British Judo homepage.