Gemma Gibbons

Gemma Gibbons
Personal information
Full name Gemma Jeanette Gibbons
Born (1987-01-06) 6 January 1987[1]
Greenwich, London, England[1]
Residence Edinburgh, Scotland[2][3]
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[1]
Weight 70 kg (154 lb)[1]
Sport
Country  England
 United Kingdom
Sport Judo
Club
  • Metro Judo Club
  • British Judo Performance Institute
  • UEL Sports

Gemma Jeanette Gibbons (born 6 January 1987) is a British judoka. Competing in the women's −70 kg category, she has represented England and Great Britain at Junior, U-23, 'B' and Senior level.

Early and personal life

Born in Charlton, London, Gibbons began practising Judo at six years of age with the Metro Judo Club in Blackheath, London.[4] She attended Westwood College (now Harris Academy Falconwood).[5] Gibbons represented Greenwich in judo at the London Youth Games.[6] She is also the 2013 patron for London Youth Games[7] and was inducted into the London Youth Games Hall of Fame in 2012.

Gemma studied at the London Leisure College, the sports, leisure and travel department of Greenwich Community College, between 2004 and 2006 on 'BTEC National Award' and 'BTEC National Certificate in Sports and Exercise Science' courses. Starting her degree in Sports Performance at the University of Bath, Gibbons continued to practice Judo, winning a Full Blues award in 2007 from the University.

In June 2013 she married Scottish judoka Euan Burton at The Caves in Edinburgh. The couple also now reside in the city.[2][3] She subsequently put her studies for a physical education teaching degree on hold, to concentrate on working towards competing at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.[2]

Natalie Powell was selected ahead of Gibbons to represent GB at the 2016 Summer Olympics.[8]

Career

Gibbons started training with the Metro Judo Club, and after training with UELSports at the University of East London, is now a member of the British Judo Performance Institute.

Gibbons won the BBC Radio London Young Sports Woman of the Year Award 2006.[9] Shortly after graduating, she won bronze in the under-70 kg class at the 2009 World University Games.[10]

Kate Howey, Performance Development Squad Coach for 2012 stated that Gibbons "is one of our best medal hopes for judo" in the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games.[11] In 2012 and ranked 42nd in the world at the time, at the 2012 London Olympics Gibbons won the silver medal, losing to Kayla Harrison in the -78 kg event.[12] Television coverage of the Olympics showed footage of Gibbons looking upwards and mouthing "I love you mum" after winning her semifinal match. Gibbons had lost her mother to leukaemia years earlier.[13]

Achievements

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Gemma Gibbons". Sports-reference.com. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 "London 2012 remembered: Gemma Gibbons: I have moved away and put my degree on hold to focus on Rio 2016". Daily Telegraph. 27 July 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Gemma Gibbons: the secrets behind her wedding dress". Hello. 6 June 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ "Hurstmere Host Festival". Newsshopper.co.uk. 11 June 2006.
  6. ↑ "Hall of Fame". London Youth Games. Retrieved 2016-09-05.
  7. ↑ "Biggest Ever Games In 2013". London Youth Games. 2012-12-25. Retrieved 2016-09-05.
  8. ↑ "Rio 2016: Team GB pick Natalie Powell ahead of Gemma Gibbons". BBC Sport. 2016-06-16. Retrieved 2016-09-05.
  9. 1 2 3 4
  10. ↑ "Gemma Gibbons". Team Bath. 2011-03-15. Retrieved 2016-09-05.
  11. ↑ "The gold rush". Timesonline.co.uk. 11 June 2006.
  12. ↑ "Gibbons grabs silver after memorable judo run". Espn.co.uk. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  13. ↑ "London 2012: Gemma Gibbons, a profile of a judo star". BBC Sport. 2 August 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
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