Telford judo star Gemma Howell selected for Team GB European Championships squad
Telford judo ace Gemma Howell has been selected in Great Britain’s squad for the European Championships. The two-time Olympian, who was born in Stafford and now lives in Telford, was one of nine judoka’s named yesterday in an initial selection which will be added to further in early April ahead of the championships, which begin in Bulgaria later that month.
Howell, a bronze medallist at the 2018 European championships, recently reached her first Grand Slam final after dropping down to the under-63kg weight category for the Paris 2024 Olympic cycle.
The Europeans are the first of two major championships this year with the worlds taking place in October, after the qualification period for Paris begins in June. British judo performance director Nigel Donohue said: “We are pleased to have selected nine fighters at the first stage selection for the 2022 European Championships in what is the first of two major championships for our GB Judo senior team in 2022.
“Given that we have a number of fighters currently in strong positions in the world rankings that have a proven pedigree at this level, the European Championships is another opportunity to win a major championship medal as we prepare for the start of Paris Olympic Games qualification period which starts in June and the World Championships in October.
“I am expecting that, post Antalya Grand Slam in April, we will be in a position to select a number of additional fighters at the second stage, where we will be sending a strong team to these championships.” Howell scored an impressive win over reigning Olympic bronze medallist Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard en route to the final of the Grand Slam event in Tel Aviv earlier this month.
