Ethan Nairne Wins Career-First Grand Prix Gold Medal in Upper Austria

Ethan Nairne produced a historic performance at the Grand Prix Upper Austria in Linz, winning gold and becoming the first British male judoka in five years to claim a Grand Prix title — and only the fourth since the IJF World Tour began in 2009.

Competing in the -73kg division, the Weston-super-Mare-born fighter overcame three Olympic medallists en route to the top step of the podium.

Nairne, who trains full-time at the National Training Centre in Walsall and is a member of Bradley Stoke Judo Club, began his campaign in the Round of 64 against Aron Szabo (HUN). Taking an early yuko, he controlled the contest to secure a confident first victory.

The Round of 32 presented a far more difficult test as he faced Adil Osmanov (MDA), Olympic bronze medallist at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and a former gold medallist at this very event in 2024, with multiple Grand Prix medals to his name. Falling behind early by waza-ari within 20 seconds, Nairne mounted a dramatic comeback, landing his signature kata-guruma throw halfway through the bout to secure ippon and advance.

In the Round of 16, Nairne faced Robert Klacar (CRO), a former Grand Prix bronze medallist and multiple European Cup podium finisher. The two were locked in a tense, scoreless battle that went into golden score, where Nairne needed just 27 seconds to throw his opponent for ippon, demonstrating composure and precision under pressure.

The quarter-final presented another formidable challenge in Fabio Basile (ITA), Rio 2016 Olympic champion and multiple Grand Prix and Grand Slam medallist. In another closely contested golden score bout, Nairne’s persistence paid off, scoring the decisive yuko to progress to the semi-final.

Standing between Nairne and a place in the final was Daniel Cargnin (BRA), world number three, Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallist, and 2025 World Championships silver medallist with extensive podium experience on the IJF World Tour. The contest extended into golden score, but Nairne’s relentless attacking judo once again proved decisive as he scored yuko to reach the Grand Prix final for the first time in his career.

In the final, Nairne faced Bilal Ciloglu (TUR), 2021 World Championship bronze medallist and Grand Prix medallist. The contest was a gruelling test of composure and endurance. As the golden score period wore on, Ciloglu began to tire under Nairne’s relentless attacks, allowing the British judoka to score the decisive yuko and secure the historic gold medal.

Reflecting on his achievement, Nairne said: “It’s an incredible feeling to win my first Grand Prix. It’s been a tough period at times, so to come through that and perform like this means a lot.

“I’m really grateful to the people who stayed in my corner and kept believing in me. It hasn’t fully sunk in yet, but this feels like an important step, and I’m excited for what’s ahead.”

An incredible achievement, congratulations, Ethan!

Other British judokas also delivered strong performances in Linz, highlighting the depth of talent in the squad. Tatum Keen (Bradley Stoke JC) achieved a career-best fifth-place finish in the -52kg category, narrowly missing out on a bronze medal after a hard-fought contest against world number nine Eyumi Leiva Sanchez (ESP), a highly experienced judoka with multiple Grand Prix and Grand Slam medals. Keen was in top form throughout the day, challenging some of the world’s best athletes in her division and marking a significant personal milestone that signals her rising trajectory on the IJF World Tour.

Meanwhile, Kelly Petersen-Pollard secured seventh place in the -70kg division, producing several impressive victories on her way through a highly competitive field. She narrowly missed out on a bronze medal contest after a final-round loss in the repechage, but can take confidence from her performance as she continues to build her form at this level of competition.

These results, alongside Nairne’s gold medal, underscore a highly successful outing for the British team in Linz, with the whole squad gaining invaluable experience and confidence against world-class opposition.

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