National judo champ’s fighting spirit takes him to top university

A NATIONAL judo champion has proved he’s a force to be reckoned with both on the mat and in the classroom after earning the top A-level grades he needs to study engineering at university.

Ripon Grammar School student Tom Deniz, currently Britain’s number one ranked U18 judo star, was delighted to gain A*s in maths and further maths and As in physics and chemistry to win a place at Durham University.

The 18-year-old, who has represented Britain throughout Europe, combined his gruelling training schedule with the England Judo squad with his A-level studies, while also playing rugby and swimming.

“Travelling across many countries throughout Europe to compete for my country has meant I’ve had less time to focus on my studies, so I needed to work extra hard on my time management,” he said.

His ambitions now are to continue to represent Great Britain over the coming years at major international games, alongside his university studies.

He has enjoyed a series of successes both at home and abroad in prestigious competitions in recent years, having represented GB U18s in Italy, Spain and Germany, Lithuania and at the European Cup in Porec, Croatia.

A former York City Baths Club swimmer, York rugby player and keen runner, he followed his father into judo, taking it up when he was just six years old.

He achieved his first dan black belt before his 16th birthday, which is a rare achievement, and trains with Neil Fletcher, vice-president of British Judo, at Pudsey Judo Club in Leeds three evenings a week.

Tom, who lives in a village between Harrogate and York, added: “I have really enjoyed my two years of sixth form at Ripon Grammar School and hope to use the skills I have acquired to move forward in the future.”

Tom holds the distinction of winning national medals every year outside Covid, dating back to 2017, including the British U12, English Open Judo and Northern Ireland Open championships titles.