Sparks fly as golden boy proves his coach wrong !
ANY worries Tonbridge Judo Club coach Chris Bowles had about moving James Sparks up a weight category quickly evaporated at the North West Area Age Banded Championships when he struck gold.
Sparks moved up from under 66kg to the under 73 category and didn't disappoint – beating Liam Ashdown-Farr in the final, which added to George Cullum's silver and bronze medals for Holly Harvey and Christopher Ling.
All in all, Bowles was very happy with the haul and said the club's athletes are on fire at the moment.
"I was really, really pleased as everyone that was picked, placed," Bowles said.
"We moved James up a weight category and we thought it would be a big jump for him, but we made the decision.
"He won all his contests and in the final, against Liam Ashdown-Farr, he won by 10 points, which was unbelievable. Clearly, he has found his weight and on the back of the victory, he should go to the international tournament with the British squad.
"George Cullum moved up from u55kg to u60 and was very unlucky not to win in the final against Neil McDonald – losing flags 2-1. It was very close and George performed really well.
"Enrico Atkinson, u66kg, didn't compete, due to an enforced two-week break after he was strangled unconscious in training. I could have athletes in u60, u66 and u70 at the European Championships, which would be some achievement for the club – the club is on fire at the moment."
Bowles also praised 11-year-old Molly Harvey and Christopher Ling for their bronze medals, while also highlighting the performance of Harry Try, who finished in seventh spot in his category.
Four of the club's senior athletes, Jemima Yeats-Brown, Aaron Turner, James Martin and Ashley Mackenzie, will be in Sheffield for the senior Olympic training sessions.
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Yeats-Brown only returned to the mat last Friday for training, following her ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury, but Bowles said she is raring to go.
"Mima is back with a vengeance – she is like a caged tiger," Bowles said. "She came back last week for practice and put two people back in their chair, I mean literally.
"Ashley will go over to Japan for pre-Olympic training one week before her, before she does half of the Asian Tour. When she is back from the Asian Tour, there is the senior European training camp, which could see her qualify for the Europeans. I can't emphasise how big these next six to eight weeks are for her."
