LONDON 2012: Bryant leads full-strength British judo team

By Sportsbeat staff

EIGHT-time European medallist Karina Bryant leads a 14-strong judo team for this summer's Olympics with Britain set to compete in every weight category in London.

LEADING THE WAY: Karina Bryant heads up Britain's 14-strong judo team for this summer's Olympics

Bryant, who took +78kg bronze at the European Championships back in April to take her tally on the continent to eight, will fight at the same weight in the capital this summer.

She joins Euan Burton, set for his second Games, as the stand-out athletes on the 14-strong team with Bryant making her fourth successive Olympic appearance in London.

Burton will fight as a seed in the men's -81kg category as Britain fulfils the maximum allocation of places for each of the seven weight categories in both the men's and women's events.

Winston Gordon will compete at his third-career Games, fighting in the men's -90kg, while Sophie Cox returns for her second Olympics and will fight in the women's -52kg.

Cox's last Olympic outing came at Athens 2004 after which she retired to become an English teach in Thailand with Kelly Edwards, -48kg, and Sarah Clark, -57kg, also selected.

Gemma Howell, -63kg, Sally Conway, -70kg, and Gemma Gibbons, -78kg, complete the seven women chosen while Chris Sherrington will fight at the heaviest weight, the men's +100kg.

Ashley McKenzie, -60kg, Colin Oates, -66kg, Daniel Williams, -73kg, and James Austin, -100kg, complete the team as Britain go in search of their first Olympic medal since Kate Howey's silver at Sydney 2000.

And British Judo performance director Daniel Lascau is calling for the British public to get fully behind the team and is adamant it could make the difference between winning a medal and not.

"We will have 14 athletes - they will represent their clubs, country, British Judo and our membership," he said. "We start on July 28 and will approach it as our job making sure we've done everything possible to perform to our best and then respect the other sports as part of the fantastic Team GB.

"The crowd will be behind us, every time a GB judoka steps onto the mat you will hear it, every judoka will have an amazing experience, we must be proud of them and give them all the support we can."

© Sportsbeat 2012