Judoka set for Abu Dhabi Grand Slam

The IJF World Tour heads to the United Arab Emirates this week for the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam.

GB Judo has enjoyed great success at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam over the years and as we enter the final quarter of the 2023 season and with the Paris 2024 Olympic qualification into its final year, the battle is on for valuable Olympic qualification points.

Thirteen GB judoka will be in action in Abu Dhabi over the next three days.

Tuesday 24^th October | Preliminary Rounds 07:00 (BST) | Final Block 14:00

Charlie Young (Ryecroft Judokwai; Paul Young) and Samuel Hall (Ryecroft JC; Fitzroy Davies) will be in action in the -66kg category. Hall was bronze medallist at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam back in 2021.

Tatum Keen (Bradley Stoke; Pete Douglas) makes her Grand Slam debut in the -52kg category whilst in the -57kg category, 8^th seed Lele Nairne (Bradley Stoke; Pete Douglas) is joined by Malin Wilson (Judo Scotland; Javi Delgado).

Wednesday 25^th October | Preliminary Rounds 07:00 | Final Block 14:00

Kelly Petersen-Pollard (Hardy Spicer; Fitzroy Davies) and Jemima Yeats-Brown (Ryecroft Judokwai; Ian Oliver) will both compete in the -70kg category. 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam bronze medallist, Petersen-Pollard makes her return from injury whilst Yeats-Brown picked up a bronze at this event in 2022.

Petersen-Pollard enters as 4^th seed whilst Yeats-Brown is seeded 6^th.

Another athlete who has fond memories of this competition is Lachlan Moorhead (Penistone JC; Matt Moorhead). The -81kg fighter picked up a bronze medal at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam, his first medal on the World Tour stage.

Ethan Nairne (Bradley Stoke; Pete Douglas) makes his World Tour debut as he takes to the tatami in the -73kg category.

Thursday 26^th October | Preliminary Rounds 07:00 | Final Block 14:00

Emma Reid’s (Redbridge JC; Steve Sandy) sole Grand Slam gold medal came at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam. The -78kg judoka will be in action on the final day where she is seeded 5^th.

Jamal Petgrave (Westcroft Judo Club; Andy Ede) will compete in the -90kg category as he aims for his first World Tour podium. Petgrave came close earlier this season as he finished 5^th at the Austria Grand Prix. He enters as 7^th seed.

Whilst no stranger to the IJF World Tour, Harry Lovell-Hewitt (Stroud JC; Richard Neale) will make his first appearance at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam when he competes in the -100kg category.

In the +100kg category, Wesley Greenidge (Enfield JC; George Hyslop) makes his Grand Slam debut following some impressive performances on the European circuit this year.

GB Judo referee, Lisa Rivers will also be officiating at the event, in what marks her one-year anniversary of refereeing on the IJF World Tour.

You can watch all the action from the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam LIVE at live.ijf.org each day.

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