Alan Petherbridge

Alan Petherbridge took up judo after joining the British Army in 1945. After winning several accolades at home, he was selected to represent Great Britain at the 1956 European Championships, although the tournament was cancelled ultimately. He made his international début the following year, however, and won numerous individual and team medals at both the European and World Championships. Most notably, he became the European Champion in 1962. Judo made its debut at the Olympics in 1964, and Petherbridge represented Great Britain in the open class where, unfortunately, he was placed in the same pool as favorites Akio Kaminaga of Japan and Anton Geesink of the Netherlands. While Kaminaga and Geesink would go on to win silver and gold respectively, Petherbridge was eliminated. After retiring in 1965 due to injury, he served in numerous administrative capacities within the sport and was coach of both the Welsh and British national teams. In recognition of his contributions, which include founding the Welsh Judo Association, he was inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame and was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire. By career, he ran a consultancy firm with his daughter.