Judo: Somerville carries medal hopes

UDO QUELLMALZ, the new performance director charged with rejuvenating British competition judo, has set himself a tough task for the four-day European Judo Championships in Bratislava, which begin today.

For his first major event since taking charge, injury has deprived him of the world middleweight champion, Kate Howey, who has not recovered from a knee operation, and has dismissed two potential medal winners, Danny Kingston and Ryan Birch, from the team after an incident at squad training.

"I have to look beyond the European Championships to the World Championships in Birmingham in October," he said. But this quiet, youthful coach, who won gold for Germany at the Atlanta Olympics, has confidence in others. "David Somerville is really on form at the moment."

A little-known featherweight, Somerville has built a reputation for himself this year by winning medals at the toughest tournaments, including a bronze at the Kano Cup in Japan.

Britain has not had a men's European finalist since the wayward Kingston won the title in 1996, but Quellmalz also has hopes for John Buchanan, the 23-year-old bantamweight who won the British Open last month.

But the women fighters look most likely win the medals. Karina Bryant, the world junior champion, goes to Bratislava to defend her senior title, the light-heavyweight Chloe Cowan won a European silver in 1997 and a bronze last year, and medals are also likely from the featherweight Debbie Allan and the lightweight Nicola Fairbrother.