Ryan Birch
British judoka (1969–2013)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ryan Birch (5 April 1969[1] – 19 March 2013) was a British judoka, representing Great Britain in two Olympic Games.[2]
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality | British (English) | ||||||||||||||
| Born | 5 April 1969 Kingston upon Hull, England | ||||||||||||||
| Died | 19 March 2013 (aged 43) The Bahamas | ||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Judoka | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||
| Sport | Judo | ||||||||||||||
| Weight class | middleweight half-middleweight | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| Profile at external databases | |||||||||||||||
| JudoInside.com | 2269 | ||||||||||||||
Biography
Birch was born in Kingston upon Hull. In 1991, he won the first of his two championships of Great Britain, winning the half-middleweight division at the British Judo Championships.[3] The following year he was selected by Great Britain for the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where he competed in the men's 78 kg event.[4]
In 1994, he won the gold medal at the 1994 European Judo Championships in Gdańsk, Poland.[5] In 1996, he was selected to represent Great Britain at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, where he competed in the men's 86 kg event.[4]
In 1998, he became a champion of Great Britain for the second time after winning the title at the heavier weight class of middleweight.[3]
He married Rowena Sweatman (who also won the European judo gold medal in 1994) and had two children. On retiring from sport, he went on to become a pilot.He was killed in a road accident in The Bahamas.[6]
Achievements
| Year | Tournament | Place | Weight class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | European Judo Championships | 3rd | Middleweight (86 kg) |
| 2000 | European Judo Championships | 5th | Half middleweight (78 kg) |
| 2001 | European Judo Championships | 1st | Half middleweight (78 kg) |
