University of Birmingham student claims judo bronze medal at Paris Grand Slam

British judoka Ben Levy (pictured), a University of Birmingham student, has announced himself on the world stage after claiming a bronze medal at the Paris Grand Slam, securing Great Britain’s only podium finish at one of judo’s most prestigious international events.

Competing at the iconic Accor Arena, Levy claimed his first-ever Grand Slam medal on his debut appearance at this level - a remarkable achievement for the 21-year-old student-athlete in a field stacked with Olympic and world champions.

Widely regarded as the crown jewel of the IJF World Tour, the Paris Grand Slam sits just below the Olympic Games and World Championships in prestige.

The event consistently attracts the strongest field in world judo and is considered a true benchmark of elite international standing.

Alongside his academic studies at the University of Birmingham, Levy trains full time as part of British Judo’s World Class Performance Programme at the British Judo National Training Centre in Walsall. His home club is the Budokwai in London — Europe’s oldest judo club.

Levy began his campaign in the Round of 32 against Korea’s Jaehong An. In a tense opening contest, neither athlete could register a score in regular time, sending the bout into golden score.

Showing maturity beyond his years on his Grand Slam debut, Levy struck decisively just 21 seconds into golden score to secure a yuko and an important first win of the day.

The Round of 16 presented one of the biggest challenges of Levy’s career to date, as he faced reigning world champion and Olympic silver medallist Joan-Benjamin Gaba of France.

Competing against the home favourite in front of a packed Accor Arena, Levy delivered a fearless performance, forcing the contest into golden score before producing a stunning yuko throw to defeat the world champion on his own turf.

Levy carried that momentum into the quarter-final against Kazakhstan’s Yesset Kuanov.

An early yuko score proved decisive, with Levy managing the contest expertly to secure his place in the semi-final.

With medals firmly in sight, Levy’s semi-final against Italy’s Manuel Lombardo - an Olympian, multiple-time Grand Slam gold medallist and current European Championships silver medallist - would determine which step of the podium he would contest.

After conceding a yuko midway through the bout, Levy was unable to overturn the deficit despite sustained pressure, sending him into the bronze medal contest.

Standing between Levy and a Paris Grand Slam medal was Japan’s Tatsuki Ishihara, a former Paris Grand Slam champion and multiple-time Grand Slam medallist.

After conceding an early yuko, Levy showed exceptional resilience, responding just 26 seconds later with a waza-ari to take the lead.

Holding firm under intense pressure, he closed out the contest to secure a historic bronze medal.

Levy said: “This medal means a lot to me. I’ve felt it’s been a long time coming after just missing out at the end of last year. This result has, in a way, made up for those defeats and put me in a really good mindset for the start of Olympic qualification in a few months.

“On the last exchange in the bronze medal fight, I saw only a few seconds were left. When I heard the bell, I couldn’t believe it was real - that I had actually medalled at my first Grand Slam. I was just ecstatic.”