Team GB judoka Ben Fletcher is in the best shape of his career, physically and mentally, as he prepares to make his Olympic debut at Rio 2016. That is the view of Juergen Klinger, his long-term coach at the University of Bath Sports Training Village dojo, who believes that Fletcher can prove “a very dangerous opponent” to the more established judoka in the men’s -100kg competition on Thursday. Fletcher has been handed a tough draw...
It’s finally here – today’s the day the Rio 2016 Olympic Games officially get under way! What is sure to be a colourful, vibrant and spectacular opening ceremony will start the XXXI Olympiad at 8pm Rio time (midnight in the UK). Fifteen University of Bath-based athletes will be in action over the next 16 days, hoping to emulate the likes of Dr Stephanie Cook (modern pentathlon), Jason Gardener (athletics), Kate Howey (judo) and Michael Jamieson...
Team Bath judoka Ben Fletcher narrowly missed out on a medal in his final competition before the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Competing at the Tyumen Grand Slam in Russia on Sunday, Fletcher – coached by Juergen Klinger at the Sports Training Village – was edged out by home judoka Niiaz Bilalov in his -100kg bronze-medal bout, meaning he finished fifth overall. Fletcher had started the day with a quarter-final victory over Moldova’s Denis Tachii before...
With 50 days to go until Rio 2016, Team Bath judoka Ben Fletcher today became the ninth University of Bath-based athlete to be officially selected by Team GB for this summer’s Olympic Games. The 24-year-old, who is coached by Juergen Klinger at the Sports Training Village, will compete in the men’s -100kg weight category after being one of seven Brits to successfully qualify for the Games. After a gruelling two-year qualification period that took him...
Team Bath Judo’s Ben Fletcher will find out for certain in the next two weeks whether he has qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Fletcher wasn’t able to reproduce the form he had shown while finishing a career-high seventh in Azerbaijan the previous week as he was beaten by home judoka Viktor Demyanenko in the first round of the men’s -100kg competition at the Almaty Grand Prix in Kazakhstan. But despite the setback, Fletcher...
Team Bath Judo’s Ben Fletcher produced his best-ever Grand Prix result in Azerbaijan on Sunday to maintain his push for a Rio 2016 Olympic Games qualification place. World number ten Jose Armenteros was among the judoka Fletcher overcame on his way to a seventh-placed finish in the men’s -100kg weight category in Baku. Hungary’s Miklos Cirjenics was runner-up, moving him into the automatic qualification places for Rio, but Fletcher still holds one of two continental...
Team Bath judoka Ben Fletcher is back in the automatic qualification places for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games after producing his best result at a senior major championships to date. The 24-year-old’s seventh-placed finish at the European Judo Championships in Kazan, Russia on Saturday lifted him back up to 29th in the Olympic qualification rankings for the -100kg weight category. With just one month of the two-year qualification period remaining and no more major tournaments...
Team Bath judoka Ben Fletcher can take a massive step closer to his dream Olympic debut this weekend when he represents Great Britain at the European Championships in Russia. Four-hundred precious Rio 2016 qualification points are up for grabs at the last major competition before this summer’s Games. Fletcher, who competes in the -100kg competition on Saturday, is currently just one position outside the automatic qualification places but still holds one of two European continental quota...
Team Bath judoka Ben Fletcher and Emmanuel Nartey can strengthen their claims for Rio 2016 Olympic Games selection when they compete in continental championships this month. Fletcher has been named in a 13-strong Great Britain team for this month’s European Judo Championships in Russia. It is the last major tournament before this summer’s Olympics, giving Fletcher – coached by Juergen Klinger at the Sports Training Village – a big chance to collect more priceless qualification points before the May...
Team Bath judoka Ben Fletcher recorded a second-successive seventh-placed finish when he competed at the Samsun Grand Prix in Turkey. The result gave the 24-year-old another 48 valuable points in his pursuit of Rio 2016 Olympic Games qualification, with just a handful of competitions remaining before the May 31 deadline. Fletcher, coached by Juergen Klinger at the University of Bath, saw his superior fitness come to the fore in his opening -100kg contest in Samsun as...
