Warwick University Judo Club repeats medal success at London Championships

This Saturday 12th February 2011, Warwick University Judo Club sent a highly motivated competition squad of six players to compete at the London Universities Senior Open Championships, held at Brunel University. Following the resounding success of the Judo club last Saturday, hosting and winning the Warwick Invitational Tournament, all the players placed in the top five, coming home with two Golds, a Silver and three 5th places in London.

Although only in its second year, the championships saw over 140 entries. Nearly a two fold increase from last year where Warwick seized three medals and one 5th place. The Novice and Intermediate sections battled it out in the morning. In the Novice Under 66kg weight category, Fresher Tom Hall demonstrated a high level of grit and determination throughout the day culminating in him winning his final tantalising fight in the dying moments of golden score (extra time) with an impressive foot sweep, placing 5th, a marked improvement since his first competition. Philip Hartley romped through the intermediate section, winning Gold in the under 100kg Intermediate championship, notably winning his final two fights by Ippon (maximum score).

Hartley set the bar very high for the afternoon, which saw the Senior Men and Women categories attracting past and present British, Welsh and Israeli national squad players! Sophie Cox, the Warwick University Judo Club President, achieved a Silver medal in the women’s Under 57kg category. Sophie excitingly choked and threw her way into the final in which she was closely beaten by another black belt. In the men’s Over 100kg category, Quentin Loos, a new member of the Warwick Club and experienced French Judo player, won the Gold medal. Quentin demonstrated an imposing array of techniques throughout the day, composedly winning all but one of his fights by Ippon. Tom Grandjean and Antoine Remond-Tiedrez both placed 5th in the under men’s under 81kg and men’s under 73kg categories respectively. These were the two largest and hardest fought categories of the day, both players look set to medal until they reached the semi-finals and were both knocked out by Bath University full time players.

All six of the Warwick Judo club players demonstrated a high level of effort, resilience and sportsmanship throughout the day, testament to the high level and traditional Ippon Judo taught by former GB representative, Sensei Dave Nicholls.