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Making the grade: Carol Leverton is congratulated on her third dan by coach Ian Mills.

JUDO: Coach Carol Leverton has gained a unique position in the county by becoming the first women from Worcestershire to obtain the grade of third level black belt in judo.

The Samurai Judo Club fighter, a former British Kata Champion and British Veterans medalist, started training in judo as a teenager in Portsmouth.

She took up the sport again in Worcester with her son and daughter nearly 20-years ago and soon afterwards joined Samurai.

Although she still trains and is hoping to return to competition this autumn, Leverton spends more of her time coaching and refereeing.

Leverton is one of the highest qualified referees in the Midlands, reaching the National A level, and is also the co-ordinator and coach for the Midlands Junior Refereeing scheme.

She also played a part in guiding rising star Kate Walker and the club's other promising fighters.

An expert on kata, the precise performance of judo moves, Leverton's greatest success was with the katame no kata, the display of groundwork, where she reached the final of the British Kata Championships for five consecutive years.

She has also won medals in two other katas at national level.

Liam Feekly, 20, gained his second level black belt after a good performance on the contest mat, as well as passing his theory.

Mike Welsh continued to defy the years by getting his brown belt, while Emma Beddoes and Bill Harris both got their green belts with some good wins and Matt Byrne gained top orange.

Katherine Lloyd Jones, already a top brown belt, started on the trail towards black belt with several impressive wins.

1:00pm Thursday 8th May 2008

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