SAMURAI starlet Leah Grosvenor has become the youngest female judo player in Worcestershire ever to win her black belt.

Leah gained the coveted grade on her fifteenth birthday, the youngest age at which it is possible to hold the grade.

Only one player from Worcestershire has ever previously gained black belt by their fifteenth birthday.

That was another Samurai, twice British champion Tom Walker, ten years ago.

Leah has got hers earlier than Kate Walker, who was aged 15 years and seven months when she gained her dan grade.

Over the last two years Leah has had an incredible run of success, including being unbeaten in Britain for 14 months, the longest unbeaten spell ever by a Worcestershire player.

During that time she won every major British title, including being British champion, Scottish Open champion, Welsh Open champion, and taking golds at the Midlands Open, North-West Open, Eastern Open, West of England Open, Kent International Open, London Open and Heart of England Open.

She also looked set to become both the club and the county’s first ever gold medalist at the Venray International Open in Holland when she sustained a major injury while winning the quarter-final, which kept her out for several months. However, she returned to action internationally with impressive golds at the Open Zeeuws championships in Holland and the Jeugdtrofee Thibaut Van Roeyen, Belgium, before taking bronze at the prestigious Flanders Cup, also in Belgium.

Although still not looking quite back to the form she was in before her injury, Leah has already won gold this year at the Midlands Open and bronze at the English Open.

Then at the Warwick University Senior Open, still aged only 14, she had seven contests, mostly against black belts including two second level black belts, and won all seven by maximum points.

Together with the points gained from other competitions, this completed the fighting needed for her black belt.

On the technical side, she took the theory exam and scored a staggering 266 out of the maximum 270, the highest score the examiner has ever given and well above the pass mark of 190.

Leah completed all of this and submitted the paperwork but had to wait until her fifteenth birthday to be awarded her belt.

She is also twice British Kata champion (one of only three players in Britain, all from Samurai, ever to simultaneously hold the titles of British Kata champion and British champion in contest judo), a qualified referee and a Silver Star Award holder.

Leah is a member of the England judo squad and a serious contender for future international selection.