Melksham Oak pupil Elliot Burbidge won a silver medal in the British Schools Judo Championships held in Sheffield recently.
This is the fourth year that the 16-year-old has competed in this tough event and the fourth year he has come away with a medal.
Elliot said, “In the last two years I successfully won the gold medal at this event. To win a silver this year is OK with me as it was my first event at this weight group, and the first event in a long time due to injuries.”
Dad and coach Mark Burbidge said, “It was a last minute decision as to whether Elliot was going to fight this year as he’s been injured for several months with ligament damage to his wrist, but after many physio appointments and suitable support for his wrist, he decided to give it a go.
“Elliot fought in the under 66kg class where he fought through the first three rounds very comfortably. In the semi-finals he was up against a player from the famous Harrow School from Middlesex; Elliot managed to beat this opponent in under a minute.
“Unfortunately in the final he came unstuck against a player who was a great deal taller than himself and who had been studying Elliot’s judo, and managed to hold him off and ended up beating Elliot in the final few seconds.”
In a couple of weeks time Elliot will be fighting in the London Open and then in May he will be competing in Holland.
