KIDDERMINSTER judo star Kate Walker has been included in an eight-player Great Britain team to compete in the European under 23 Championships, being held in Antalya, Turkey, this weekend.

Samurai Judo Club ace Walker will fight in the under 63kg competition.

In last year’s under 23 Championships, 20-year-old Walker took seventh place and, since then, has won medals, including gold at the Holstein Open and silver at the English Senior Open.

Gemma Gibbons, who finished fifth last year, returns to contest the under 70kg weight category. The Metro Judo Club player, who now trains full-time at the British Judo Performance Institute in Dartford, has been on good form this year, winning a silver medal at the Swedish Open. She also took bronze at the 2009 World University Games.

Breaking though into the under 90kg category and making his debut in the under 23 Championships is Michael Horley, who this year won the gold medal at the International Venray Tournament and silver at the Quebec Senior Open.

Completing the line up are Ashley McKenzie (under 60kg), Jean-Rene Badrick (under 66kg), Jan Gosiewski (under 73kg), Samantha Clark (under 52kg) and Connie Ramsay (under 57kg).

Kimberley Renicks, who was originally selected, is out of action due to a shoulder injury and Theo Spalding-McIntosh is not fit to compete as he is still recovering from a recent knee operation.

Head coach Patrick Roux said: “The European under 23 Championships is a great opportunity for this group of transitional players to demonstrate that they could become the first challenger of their respective weight group for London 2012.”

Walker and her team-mates have been at a training camp at the British Judo Performance Institute in preparation for the event.