Caitlin Sargeant becomes 11th British champion for Kumo Judo Club after winning gold at BUCS National Championships

Kumo Judo Club have their 11th British champion after Caitlin Sargeant won gold at the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) National Championships in Sheffield on Saturday, writes Alex Moss.

The 20-year-old from Botesdale has been at the Lopham & Diss-based club since 2009, and at the weekend won gold in the Women (2 Kyu & Below) Under 57kg class.

Howard Oates, the club’s senior coach, said: “She hadn’t been able to train as much as she wanted, because of her education.

“She’s very bright and studies at Cambridge. She’s been at the club for the last 10 years and joins a long list of British champions we’ve had at the club.”

Sargeant battled through three rounds at iceSheffield, beating Loughborough’s Rebecca Szmega in the final to win gold.

This weekend, Sargeant will captain the Cambridge ladies team against rivals Oxford in the annual varsity match.

Elsewhere, Niamh Southgate, another member of Kumo Judo Club, made her first appearance in a European event, in Spain.

The 14-year-old, who was representing England, was eliminated in the opening round, despite leading throughout much of the contest.

The teenager and her sister Eden, also 14, will be fighting in the English Cadet Open in Walsall this weekend.