Inverness judo star to compete at European Championships
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INVERNESS judo star Josie Steele is set to cap a glittering spell of medal success by joining Great Britain’s team at the Junior European Championships.
The 18-year-old Heriot-Watt university physics student has been picked for a second year running in the eight-strong GB squad heading to Vantaa, just north of Finland’s capital Helsinki, next month.
A Highland Budokan member since the age of eight, Steele now trains in Edinburgh. She is hopeful of further medal success in Finland in the under 57kg category .
More than 300 elite competitors from 41 nations will take part in the competition from September 12 to 14.
“I’m delighted to get the call,” Steele said.
“I was selected last year as well, so it is my second time.
“I did expect it because I’d met the selection criteria, but it was nice to have it confirmed.
“It’s a great honour. First time around, I was quite inexperienced, so I feel this time I can really do myself justice and perform better.”
Steele has enjoyed a successful year on the European circuit, picking up silver at one of the continent’s foremost championships in Berlin and gold at another top event in Hungary.
In all, she has medalled in each of her last five major competitions, building last year’s career high of becoming the youngest winner in European Open history in Glasgow.
