Georgia’s first Olympic champion Zurab Zviadauri (-90kg) will compete in the 2012 Olympic Games host city at the London British Open at K2 Crawley on Sunday 13 May.
Zviadauri, 30, come out of a three-year retirement in November – having worked as a coach for the national team – to try and qualify for London 2012 but the country’s -90kg spot has gone to newly-crowned European Champion Varlam Liparteliani.
The two-time world silver medallist, who’s the cousin of fellow Olympic champion and -90kg standout Illias Illiadis of Greece, took a bronze medal at his home World Cup in Tbilisi in January.
Nine years ago the Georgian clinched European Team Championship gold in the English capital and almost a decade on is back to bid for more silverware in the English capital.
Elsewhere Britain’s 28-strong Olympic talent pool will compete including European bronze medallist Karina Bryant (+78kg), Cadets European Champion Katie-Jemima Yeats Brown (-63kg) and Junior world bronze medallist Hayley Willis (-48kg) who are both aged just 16.
Belgium has selected a youthful-looking 15-strong team which features 2009 Junior European Champion Anne-Sophie Jura and 2010 European u23 champion Amelie Rosseneu (both -48kg).
France has picked a 38-strong team which includes former European bronze medallist Eva Bisseni (+78kg), 2005 British Open winner Anne Laure Poli (-63kg) and 16-year-old starlet Stephanie Gerno (-48kg).
24 judoka will represent the Netherlands while 20 will fly the flag for Poland and eight take to the tatami on behalf of Portugal.
Russia will field seven judoka including 2009 European champion Arsen Galstyan (-60kg).
Nations confirmed so far: Austria, Belgium, Czech, Estonia, Finland, France, Great Britain, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain and Switzerland.
Saturday 12 May :
Men: -60kg, -66kg, -73kg Women: -63kg, -70kg, -78kg, +78kg
Sunday 13 May :
Men: -81kg, -90kg, -100kg, +100kg Women: -48kg, -52kg, -57kg
