IJF World Tour heads to Tbilisi

The IJF World Tour heads to Georgia this weekend for the staging of the third Tbilisi Grand Slam.

Eleven GB judoka will be in action over the next three days in what is the penultimate World Judo Tour event before the Doha World Championships in May.

Friday 24^th (05:30 (GMT) – Preliminary Rounds | 13:00 – Final Block)

Amy Platten (Redbridge JC; Guy Platten) made her Grand Slam debut in Tbilisi in 2021. Competing in the -48kg category, Platten, who recently won bronze at the Warsaw European Open, will face former World Junior champion Hyekyeong Lee (KOR) in the opening round.

Nekoda Smythe-Davis (Ealing Judo Club; Jo Crowley) and Lele Nairne (Bradley Stoke; Pete Douglas) will both be in action in the -57kg category.

Smythe-Davis started the year with a bronze medal at the Portugal Grand Prix following her return to competition in September 2022.

Nairne had a great end to 2022, culminating with a career best 5^th place finish at the Baku Grand Slam before a 7^th place finish at the Jerusalem Masters in December.

Both British judoka have been drawn against home nation fighters in their respective opening round contests. Drawn in Pool D, Smythe-Davis will face 3^rd seed Eteri Liparteliani in round two, following an opening round bye. Whilst Nairne has an opening round contest against Nino Tsiklauri in Pool A.

Alex Short (Edinburgh JC; Billy Cusack) competes at his second career Grand Slam event as he takes to the tatami in the -66kg category. Short has an opening round bye before facing 6^th seed Strahinja Buncic (SRB) in round two.

Saturday 25^th (06:00 (GMT) – Preliminary Rounds | 13:00 – Final Block)

World Number 2, Lucy Renshall (SKK; Pete Blood) heads to Tbilisi as the number 1 seed and will compete alongside 2022 European Champion Gemma Howell (Wolverhampton JC; Bill Kelly) in the -63kg category.

Renshall, who recently claimed bronze at last month’s Tel Aviv Grand Slam, has an opening round bye before facing Eter Askilashvili (GEO) in round two.

Howell meanwhile, recently returned to competition following injury, and will face Nadja Bazynski (GER) in round two, following an opening round bye.

GB Judo has two seeded judoka competing in the -70kg category. Kelly Petersen-Pollard (Hardy Spicer; Fitzroy Davies) enters as the 4^th seed, whilst Jemima Yeats-Brown (Ryecroft Judokwai; Ian Oliver) is seeded 7^th.

Petersen-Pollard recently finished 5^th at the Rome European Open whilst fellow Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, Yeats-Brown competes in her 3^rd competition of the year.

Petersen-Pollard will face either Nigara Shaheen (IRT) or Nyam-Erdene Batsuuri (MGL) in round 2, following an opening round bye. Yeats-Brown will face Regina Utnelishvili (GEO) in her opening round contest.

Eric Ham (Glossop JC; Geoff Ham) will be in action in the -73kg category. The 2022 Perth Oceania Open bronze medallist has been drawn against Salvador Cases Roca (ESP) in round two, following an opening round bye.

Sunday 26^th (08:00 (BST) – Preliminary Rounds | 14:00 – Final Block)

Natalie Powell (Irfon JC) and Emma Reid (Redbridge JC; Steve Sandy) will both be in action on the final day of competition in the -78kg category.

Powell picked up a bronze medal at the 2022 Tbilisi Grand Slam and after a 7^th place finish at the Paris Grand Slam last month, enters as 7^th seed.

Powell will face 2022 European U23 champion Petrunjela Pavic (CRO) in round 2 following an opening round bye.

Reid returns to where her Grand Slam journey started back in 2021. Reid, who was a bronze medallist at the Portugal Grand Prix in January, has been drawn in Pool A and will face Loriana Kuka (KOS).

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

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