SAMURAI bagged a hat-trick of gold medals at the British Schools Championships for the second year in a row.

The Wyre Forest club also earned two bronzes, and followed that up with two more medals at the English Open the next day.

Bewdley High School have been the most successful local school in national judo in recent years and they did really well with two of the gold medals, from Hetty Tinsdale and Arran Gulliver.

The other gold medal was won by Becky Hobby, of Baxter College.

Tinsdale, competing in the under-63kg weight group in years 8 and 9, swept away all of her opponents.

Having already won the Scottish Open last year, as well as being silver medallist at this event 12 months ago, it looks as if she is now moving on to the next level.

Also in years 8 and 9, Matt Hemer, from Droitwich High School, started very strongly with some good wins and reached the semi-final before a narrow defeat. This left him in the play-off for third place, where he gained a high score and then excellently controlled the contest to win the bronze medal.

In the same age group, Olivia Turner added a bronze to her growing collection.

In years 6 and 7, James Hemer finished fifth in the under-34kg section.

Ellie McAteer, from Redhill School in Stourbridge, also came fifth in the under-36kg section, while in the under-50kg group, Jack Walker, from Tudor Grange in Worcester, also had a good go.

Hobby was the star in the years 10 and 11 category as she powered to first place in the under-63kgs.

Bewdley High School’s Gulliver was the last Samurai to compete.

He had a very tough category but two wins out of three got him through the pool and into the semi-final, which he won convincingly to get into the final and a rematch with the player who had beaten him earlier.

This time he had greater control of the contest and won well to take the gold.

Samurai were also asked to put on a simultaneous three mat kata display, with Lauren Fletcher, Sophie Deeming, Leah Grosvenor, Hobby as well as Matt and James Hemer impressing.

The following day at the English under-21 and Senior Open, there were bronzes for Franki Marston and Bryony Griffiths.