British team announced for the judo worlds

British Judo has today announced its squad for the 2005 World Judo Championships taking place in Cairo, Egypt from 8-11 September. The players will travel to Cairo trying to match the three medals won at the 2003 World Championships. In Japan, Craig Fallon took the silver medal in the Men’s –60kg weight category, and Karina Bryant won two medals, a bronze in the Women’s +78kg weight category and silver in the Open weight category.

The selected team includes Athens Olympians Craig Fallon, Winston Gordon, Sophie Cox, Sarah Clark, Rachel Wilding and Karina Bryant.

This will be the fourth Senior World Championships for 26-year old Bryant, who has won at least one medal at each appearance. In May she became European Champion for the fourth time and will no doubt be looking to clinch her fifth World medal in Egypt.

Seven members of the team are making their Senior World Championship debut. They include Commonwealth Champion Samantha Lowe and Junior World medallist Peter Cousins who, after close competition for the –90kg, has been selected in –100kg spot for this event.

Commenting Colin McIver, Performance Director of British Judo said, “We hope to continue the momentum of a successful European Championships onto the World stage. We have a team combining established names with newer talent. For those younger members of the team this will be excellent experience for the forthcoming Olympic cycle.”

McIver is hoping that the British team will match the success of the 2003 World Championships.

“We have a strong team who have proven experience at a World level and who are capable of achieving results in Egypt,” he said.

The full team line up with weight category is as follows:

Men
-60kg Craig Fallon
-66kg Colin Oates
-73kg Craig Ewers
-81kg Euan Burton
-90kg Winston Gordon
-100kg Peter Cousins

Women
-48kg Donna Robertson
-52kg Sophie Johnstone
-57kg Sophie Cox
-63kg Sarah Clark
-70kg Samantha Lowe
-78kg Rachel Wilding
+78kg Karina Bryant
Open Karina Bryant
The team will depart for Egypt on the 5th September