Burton leads British judo squad to Beijing

Published on Tuesday 22 April 2008 22:48

FOUR Edinburgh-based athletes have been selected in the Great Britain judo teams for this summer's Olympic and Paralympic Games. Euan Burton, Sarah Clark and Michelle Rogers are in the Olympic team, while Sam Ingram is in the Paralympic squad, also heading for Beijing.

Burton, the only one of the four who is a native of the Scottish capital, will compete in the under-81 kilogramme category and is one of the strongest medal hopes in the team. Now 29, he is at the peak of his powers, and the bronze medals he won at both world and European level last year showed he will be a contender in China.

Clark, from South Shields, has represented Scotland since 1998, and won silver at the Commonwealth Games of 2002. A former European champion, she is the lightest of the three women in Team GB. Rogers, a Mancunian, is in the under-78kg class. The British coaches have targeted two medals, and she and Burton look like being the best hopes of achieving that aim.

Ingram, a 22-year-old who moved from Coventry to Scotland last year, won silver at last year's world championships and will again compete in the under-90kg category. "I'm really pleased to be selected and will be hoping to make as big an impact in Beijing as I can and hopefully come home with a medal," he said.

GB OLYMPIC TEAM

Women: -63kg S Clark, -78kg M Rogers. +78kg K Bryant, Men: -60kg C Fallon. -81kg E Burton. -90kg W Gordon. -100kg: P Cousins.

GB PARALYMPIC TEAM (all men)

–60kg D Harris. -66kg S Ingram. -90kg B Quilter. -100kg I Rose.