Judoka Wins Championship - Leigh-on-Sea

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Leigh On Sea News: Judoka Wins Championship – A JUDOKA from Leigh managed to win the Judo World Veteran Championship, despite suffering a broken rib and toe.

Judoka Wins Championship - A JUDOKA from Leigh managed to win the Judo World Veteran Championship, despite suffering a broken rib and toe.

A JUDOKA from Leigh managed to win the Judo World Veteran Championship, despite suffering a broken rib and toe.

Shaun Mitty, 54, said he was not going to let the injury “get in the way,” and fought on to triumph in the three-day contest, held in Las Vegas between 4-7 November.

The four-time British champion took up judo at the age of seven and this November became the first and only British gold medallist of the tournament in the M5 -90kg category, beating opponents from Brazil, Spain, the USA and Sweden.

Mr Mitty commented: “I was ecstatic, you work very hard for these things.

“It took six months of solid training to fight.”

He was considering “bowing out” out of the completion, and settling for silver, but decided to keep going.

“Luckily the painkillers kicked in,” he explained.

“The excitement overall is everything. That enabled me to dig deep and do it.”

Picture: Shaun Mitty (centre) triumphs. Pic: Judo World Veteran Championship.

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