WOKINGHAM will have its very own Olympian to cheer on this summer after Ben Fletcher was named in the Team GB squad which is heading off to Brazil.
The 24-year-old local lad, a product of the hugely-successful Pinewood Judo Club and a former Emmbrook School pupil, had his place at Rio confirmed on Thursday.
Fletcher, who will compete in the Men’s U100kg, is one of seven judoka off to represent GB at the games – and it will be the first time he has competed on the elite stage.
While clearly a momentous moment, Ben is refusing to get too carried away, and it is understandable too given a knee injury forced him out of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow two years ago.
“It’s fantastic to be selected for Rio, he said.
“I can’t get too excited just yet because I’ve been selected for championships in the past and it’s not quite happened for me further down the road, but this is what I’ve been working towards for the past four years.
“When I finally get there and set foot in the Olympic Village, I will definitely feel excited.”
His call-up for the games, which run from August 5 to August 21, is just desserts for Fletcher, who has spent the past two years putting himself through a gruelling two-year qualification period that took him all around the world.
This saw him secure a continental qualifying place and a long-awaited Olympic debut is now only weeks away.
“The last two years in particular have been very stressful, with loads of travel,” added Ben, who also turned out for Team GB at the inaugural European Games in Baku last year.
“So to actually go after such a difficult goal and achieve it is amazing.
“I can’t really put into words what it means.”
Fletcher’s inclusion, however, is likely to be bittersweet, given his sister and fellow judoka, Megan, saw her qualifying campaign curtailed by a cruel series of events.
Struck down by illness and then a back problem, she has had to put her dream on hold, with making the 2020 competition in Tokyo now the aim.
Ben joins Ashkey McKenzie, Colin Oates, Nekoda Smythe-Davis, Alice Schlesinger, Sally Conway and Natalie Powell in being named as the judoka who will take to the mats in South America.
“The team have earned their place at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games over a tough and intensive two-year qualification period and have produced some fantastic results,” said Nigel Donohue, British Judo Performance Director and Judo Team Leader for Rio 2016.
“They have performed at a high level and produced some fantastic results.
“They have performed at a high standard and medalled and placed at European Championships, Grand Slams and Grand Prix with consistent wins against players in the world top 10.
“We profiled the world’s best over the last cycle to understand what it takes to win at an Olympic Games and we wanted to qualify athletes who have a real chance of performing and potentially medalling.
“We are ready for the games and believe in this team and that every one of them can produce their best possible performance in Rio with the support of their coaches and world-class support team.”
Under the tutorage of Juergen Klinger, Fletcher becomes the ninth University of Bath-based athlete to be selected for Rio.
Ben has been based in Bath for the past six years and is part of the High Performance training group.
“For all of us here in Bath, it is an absolutely exciting thing that Ben has been selected for the Olympic Games,” added Klinger.
“We have been trying really hard for a couple of years now to get someone to Rio, and he has succeeded.”
