Judo star Emma targets World Championship glory

British judoka Emma Reid, 31, is targeting a World Championship gold medal at the upcoming event in Azerbaijan. Reid, who grew up in Royston, Hertfordshire, already possesses one World Championship medal, having won bronze in 2022. She aims to use the World Championships as a platform to bolster her bid for qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

Reid, part of Team GB's 12-strong judo squad, has been training rigorously, up to three times a day, at the British Judo headquarters in Walsall. Her journey to the pinnacle of judo is unique; she only began full-time training a decade ago, despite having started the sport at the age of five. Both her parents, Iain and Lesley Reid, have been instrumental in her journey.

They founded Melbourn Judo Club in Royston, where Reid has trained and where her parents still coach. Reid's resilience and determination have been key to her success, as evidenced by her Commonwealth gold medal win in 2022. Former Olympian Colin Oates, now an Olympic programme coach in Walsall, believes Reid has the potential to add to her medal tally at the World Championships.