Other Sport / Judo
The siblings putting Bristol judo on the world map
The Nairnes are siblings like no other, both representing Great Britain in judo on the international stage.
Ethan and Lele Nairne’s journey to global judo success began at their local club in Weston-super-Mare and then Bradley Stoke Judo Club.
There, they are coached by senseis Pete Douglas and Nick Brace – both heavily decorated with international accolades.
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Bradley Stoke Judo Club was formed in 1999 and has since gone on to prove itself as the most elite judo clubs in the West Country, boasting members who have performed and won medals in competitions across the globe – photo: Bradley Stoke Judo Club
The sibling judokas have enjoyed European, Commonwealth and international wins and are putting Bristol judo on the global sporting map.
Since joining the club in the early 2010s, Lele Nairne has performed on the international stage on numerous occasions, winning bronze in the Euro Under-18s Cup and becoming a two-time British champion, before being selected to become a full-time athlete at the National Training Centre in Walsall.
In 2019, she was called up to represent Great Britain in the Judo World Championships in Japan where she won her first fight, though then suffered a broken arm and was forced to withdraw from the tournament.
Following the pandemic, Lele left the national centre and returned to Bradley Stoke Judo Club full-time, a decision that has not stopped her from achieving her international goals.
She has since won countless medals and earned a call-up to England’s national team for the 2022 Commonwealth Games where she reached the semi-finals, all before winning gold at the Perth Oceania Open.
Lele is currently currently ranked 11th in Olympic qualifying and 30th in the Olympic Judo Federation world rankings. She has hopes to represent Great Britain at the Paris Summer Olympics 2024.
Lele has hopes to represent Great Britain at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris – photo: Bradley Stoke Judo Club
Five years younger than his medal-winning sister, Ethan Nairne is a successful athlete in his own right and is currently a full-time GB athlete.
At under-21 level, he has represented GB at five European tournaments, performing excellently and winning bronze in Portugal earlier in 2022, before earning qualification for the Under-21 World Championships in Ecuador where he won bronze.
In October, he travelled to Sarajevo, Bosnia, for the Under-23 Championships where he beat Grand Slam medallists and European champions and finished in seventh place on his debut in the under-23 category, the highest GB athlete finish in the competition.
On his performance in the tournament in Sarjevo, Ethan said: “I am happy with my performance at the Under-23 European Championships but disappointed not have made it a bit further. It was a good way to end 2022 and shows I am learning and growing in the right direction.”
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There’s more to come for these two Bradley Stoke-based athletes as Lele is set to compete in the Jerusalem Masters in December, competing with olympic and world champions, while Ethan looks set to compete for more medals in 2023, with the U23 Championships in Potsdam, Germany, in Autumn.
Main photo: British Judo
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