British Athletes Gear Up for Warsaw European Open, VI German Open and Algiers African Open

Three squads of British athletes will travel to Poland, Germany, and Algeria to compete on February 22-23, 2025.

The Warsaw European Open will showcase a strong lineup of World Class Performance Programme athletes alongside other top British judokas. Meanwhile, the VI German Open will see the largest British VI squad in history, and the Algiers African Open will have just three British entrants.

Warsaw European Open

The -60kg category will be represented solely by Charlie Ayre. Selected for British Judo’s elite programme in November, Ayre quickly proved his potential, securing gold in both the junior and senior categories at the British Championships in December.

The -66kg category boasts a wealth of British talent. Michael Fryer, British Judo Senior Male Athlete of the Year, will compete in his first event of the year after an impressive 2024 season, which saw him claim British Championship gold, Zagreb Grand Prix silver, and bronze medals at the Tallinn and Riga European Cups. His brother, Lewis Fryer, who took bronze in the same category at the British Championships, will join him.

Also competing in the -66kg category are Samuel Hall, Finlay Allen, and Neil MacDonald, each bringing valuable international experience to the mat.

The -73kg division is similarly well-represented, featuring newly recruited programme athletes Ethan Nairne and Benjamin Levy. They will be joined by Oliver Short and Cameron Charles, adding further depth to the category.

In the -81kg category, Eryk Neumann will be Britain’s sole representative, while Jamal Petgrave will compete alone in the -90kg division.

The -100kg category features a strong trio of Oliver Barratt, Rhys Thompson, and Max Gregory, each bringing considerable experience and potential.

Rounding out the men’s roster, Wesley Greenidge will represent Britain in the +100kg category.

On the women’s side, five athletes will compete across different weight divisions. Three-time British champion Summer Shaw aims to build on her stellar 2024 season in the -48kg category. Fellow British champion Tatum Keen will take on the -52kg field, while Josie Steele steps up in the -63kg division.

The -70kg and -78kg categories will see Kelly Petersen-Pollard and Shelley Ludford in action. Both will look to apply skills honed during recent training camps in Japan as they take to the competition mat.

Squad List:

VI German Open

The VI German Open in Heidelberg will feature the largest British VI squad ever, with 18 athletes competing.

The day will begin with the U18 and U21 categories. Representing GB in the U18 division are Murray McConnal, Jake Pasquill, and Jolene Donague. In the U21s, Jacobean Edwards and Riko Amediku will take to the mat.

From 12 pm, the preliminaries for the senior categories will commence. In the -70kg division, GB has three entrants: Calvin Walker-Hall, Miles Soloman, and Scott Bailey. Another trio will compete in the -81kg category, with Paralympian Evan Molloy, Liam Mooney, and Jimmy Alderson all in action.

Paris 2024 silver medallist Dan Powell is the sole British fighter in the -95kg division, while fellow Paralympian Jack Hodgson will compete in the +95kg category alongside Dan English.

In the -60kg division, Emily Betts and Evie Gormley take on the field, while Kirsten Taylor and Rachel Morgan will compete in the +70kg category.

Squad List:

Algiers African Open

Only three British judoka will compete in the Algiers African Open.

Ashleigh Barnikel and Sidney Tancock return to international competition after competing in Tunis last weekend. They aim to build on their performances and make an impact in the -49kg category.

Chloe Robyns-Landircombe also continues her back-to-back competition streak, setting her sights on success in the -57kg division.

Squad List:

-48kg
Sidney Tancock
Ashleigh Barnikel
-57kg
Chloe Robyns

 

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