Champions! Students strike gold at national judo event

Students at the University of Wolverhampton have been crowned ‘team champions’ and awarded gold, silver and bronze medals for their individual performances after competing in the British University Colleges Sport (BUCS) Judo Championships.

The University of Wolverhampton hosted the BUCS Judo Championships for the first time in history at its Walsall Campus Sports Centre last weekend (February 26 – February 27.)

Judo is an Olympic sport and has a broad competition base from participation through to elite. The BUCS competition sees national and international fighters take to the mats to represent and score BUCS points for their respective university. 

Thirteen student-athletes from the University of Wolverhampton competed in front of a packed audience in the national judo event against students from across the UK.

On Saturday 26 February, nine students were awarded medals in the individual championships with six striking gold, two awarded silver and one bronze.

Gold medals were awarded to Sian Bobrowska (-48kg), Isobel Kitchen (-57kg), Rebecca Ugolor (-70kg), Jemima Yeats-Brown (-78kg), Sam Hall (-66kg), Jamie Spencer-Pickup (-81kg). Tegan Davies (-78kg) and Oliver Barratt (+100kg) won silver and Grace Tolley (-78kg) was presented with bronze.

The event continued with team competitions on Sunday, where both University men’s and women’s teams were crowned BUCS Judo team champions – scooping gold for Team Wolves.

Jemima Yeats-Brown, WLV Sport Scholar, studying BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science at the University said: “It’s definitely been a successful weekend, I’m so proud to have won the individual gold in my category and we’ve also won our team event – which is a great achievement for us all.

“It’s fantastic to represent the University on a national scale. I don’t often compete at home as I’m usually competing abroad. So to have my family, lecturers and WLV Sport staff here to see what we can do, and see us win is just a great way to give something back to the University.”

James Dale, Interim Head of WLV Sport at the University of Wolverhampton said: “What a brilliant weekend we’ve had. Not only have we hosted the BUCS Judo Championships for the first time, but to also have our students strike gold is fantastic.

In total, we have won six individual gold medals, two silver and one bronze, plus gold in the Women’s and Men’s team competitions – that’s a huge contribution in BUCS points for the University.

“This is a true testament to the hard work and commitment of our students and our long-standing relationship with the British Judo Association, whose Centre of Excellence is at our Walsall Campus.

 “I’d like to say a huge congratulations to all of our students who competed at the weekend – and the staff and students that made the event a success. You’ve all done yourselves and the University extremely proud.

“On behalf of the University, I would also like to place on record, a huge thank you to the student volunteers who helped support and deliver the event across the weekend. Delivering a range of roles from stewarding, administering the registration desk through to delivering sports massages to athletes and first aid, they were a true reflection of the education, experience pathways and opportunities on offer here at the University.”

Find out more about WLV Judo.