Defending champion Skelley targets Paralympic repeat

Reigning Paralympic judo champion Chris Skelley will have the chance to bid for another title in Paris after being included in a three-strong Great Britain squad for the Games.

The 31-year-old won GB's first Paralympic judo gold when he triumphed in the -100kg division in Tokyo three years ago.

Classification changes within the sport since then mean he will compete in his third Games in the J2+90kg event in France.

"It's such a huge honour," said Skelley, who won silver at the 2023 European Championships in Rotterdam.

"It means everything to me to be able to pull on the judo jacket and step on that mat to give my best performance for my country, my family, my friends, my coach and everyone that has supported me over the years."

Judo at the Paralympics is exclusively for athletes with a visual impairment, with the rules the same as in Olympic judo, except that the two fighters start gripped up.

Skelley will be joined by Daniel Powell, who will also be competing at his third Games, and debutant Evan Molloy, with competition running at the Champ-de-Mars Arena from 5-7 September.

Powell finished seventh on his Games judo debut at London 2012 and again in Tokyo. He also had a brief spell as part of the British Rowing set-up.

Since returning to judo, the 33-year-old has won World Championship and European silver medals in his J1 -90kg category this cycle and is ranked third in the world.

Molloy, from Devizes, was a training partner at the Tokyo Games, but the 25-year-old will now make his debut in the J2 -90kg category in Paris after winning bronze at the 2023 Europeans.