Beijing 2008 Press Conference
Left to right: Karina Bryant, Karen Roberts, Simon Clegg (BOA), Phil Lane (BPA), Dave Sanders and Ian Rose
© Mike Varey
Competing in the -60kgs category will be Craig Fallon, the 2005 World Champion. In the +78kgs Karina Bryant, the five-times World Silver medallist, will be looking to take her first Olympic medal. And in the -90kgs Winston Gordon will want to improve on his fifth place position from the Athens Olympics.
Bryant secured qualification for the Games in the 2007 World Judo Championships last September, where she placed fifth.
She said: I am really excited and thrilled to be a member of Team GB for the third time, both personally and from a team perspective. I am looking forward to the Olympics as I believe we are going with a really strong team.
Fallon has won several big name World Cup events in the last six months and qualified curteosy of his high standing in the European ranking list.
Gordon left it until this month's 2008 European Championships in Lisbon to qualify, where he maintained his ranking position in the top nine of Europe.
© Mike Varey
Meanwhile, some of FF's younger fighters have been caught up in the Olympic fever that is building towards London 2012.Lee Shinkin, who has always worn FF and fights at -73kg, was one of a handful of young British athletes who took part in carrying the Olympic flame through London on Sunday 6th April.
It was inspirational to be doing it with other Olympians and athletes such as Tim Henman, Steve Redgrave and Kelly Holmes, said Shinkin. I look forward to London 2012.
In February Nathan Burns, currently an -60kg fighter, took part in a judo demonstration at the EDF Management Conference in London. EDF are one of the major sponsors for the 2012 Games, and Burns found himself rubbing shoulders with the likes of Colin Jackson and Jonathan Edwards.