JUDO: Kate Walker was the outstanding player for Great Britain at the Russian International Team Challenge in St Petersburg.

Kidderminster's Samurai Judo Club star served up one of the British victories in a 15-3 defeat to the Russian A team as many of their young players struggled.

The team of nine girls and nine boys is expected to make up next year's European Youth Olympics squad.

Walker, with the help of Samurai coach Andrew Haffner, planned to use the first 30 seconds of her contest to settle down.

She acclimatised to the large partisan crowd and the fast, specially built contest mat before launching into her trademark backwards throw.

It pole-axed her Russian opponent, who had tried for a typical high grip manoeuvre, and earned the only outright win for the Brits.

The other two were courtesy of a bye and another gained through minor penalties but they were reassured to see Russia defeat their other opponents, including Romania in the final by a large margin.

Walker, 14, was pleased her opponent defeated everybody else without difficulty, indicating the British girl was probably the best in her 57kg weight group.

Coach Haffner said: "Kate got the experience of a major international event and a major training programme leading up to it, and the bonus of winning.

"Now we have two other international events in the near future and then time in the summer to develop more techniques ready for the series of trials events for the World Class Start Plan in the autumn."

The competition in the impressive Gagarin Stadium featured two Russian teams, Germany, Ukraine, Belarus, Romania and Hungary as well as Britain.

Hundreds of thousands of players play judo in Russia, unlike the mere 30,000 in Britain where it is a minority sport.

Walker has been involved in the sport for six years and won more than 90 medals in that time, including numerous national and international prizes.

But the Wyre Forest teenager is now focusing on just the biggest tournaments in her attempt to reach the top.

Samurai host the Ray Mercer Charity Minimon at their Lisle Avenue premises on Saturday, June 12, with many clubs invited.

It will raise money for the fund set up in memory of the late Kidderminster Harriers secretary.