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Ripon pupil named British judo champion

Monday, 24 March 2025 07:35

12-year-old Jack Deniz has been crowned the British Schools judo champion.

A 12-year-old boy who lives near Harrogate has been named the British Schools judo champion.

Rising martial arts star Jack Deniz won gold in his age category at the championships in Sheffield, which attract more than 700 students from schools all over the UK.

Up against a tough group of 24 of the best competitors selected from each region, he follows in the footsteps of his older brother Tom, 18, ranked number one in Britain last year.

Jack, 12, who is a pupil at Ripon Grammar School, lives in a village between Harrogate and York.

He first took up judo when he was just six years old and is aiming for his black belt in the sport.

The keen rugby and hockey player said:

“My ambition is to represent Great Britain in judo, like my brother, Tom.”

Inspired by Olympic champions Teddy Riner and Tadahiro Nomura, the only judo player to win three individual Olympic gold medals in a row, he trains twice a week at Pudsey Judo Club, where his coach is British Judo vice-president Neil Fletcher.

The British Schools Championships is one of the most challenging school-based judo competitions in the UK, bringing together hundreds of young athletes from across the country to test their skill, determination and ability to handle pressure at a high level.

The event, organised by British Judo, which is the National Governing Body for the Olympic Sport of Judo in Great Britain, is a key milestone in the national competition calendar, providing a platform for young athletes to gain experience and test themselves against some of the best in their age groups.

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