Walsall's Emma Reid is heading to Paris dreaming of medal glory

Reid, who only turned full-time in 2020, claimed gold by beating Welsh fighter Natalie Powell in front of a packed Coventry Arena in the under-78kg category at the Commonwealth Games in 2022.

The 29-year-old has been in strong form since the turn of the year – collecting a pair of bronze medals at the Dushanbe and Astana Grand Slams, before winning bronze again at the World Championships in Abu Dhabi to confirm qualification for Paris 2024.

And Reid believes that her experience of tasting glory at the Commonwealth Games coupled with her World Championships showing earlier this year has only helped increase her confidence that she can all the way in the French capital this summer.

“Looking back at the Commonwealths now, that was the best thing that could’ve happened because it was a great experience in terms of a games environment and also it being a home games,” Reid recalls. “Paris is obviously close too and I’ll have loads of people coming to watch me so that was probably one of the best preparations and hopefully I can replicate the gold medal there.

“With the confidence I’ve gained from the World Championships, I think on the day, I can achieve anything.”

Reid admitted that the prospect of competing at her first Olympics still feels slightly surreal, although she does not have to look far for extra inspiration.

Both of her parents, Lesley and Iain Reid, were judokas and run a club called Melbourn Judo Club in Royston, Hertfordshire.

And Reid has also been tapping into the advice of her fellow teammates Lucy Renshall and Chelsie Giles, who both competed at the Tokyo Games in 2021, with the latter winning bronze.

“My parents introduced me to judo so it’s nice to have their support and understanding.

“It’s been a whirlwind few weeks but I am just really excited to compete and just have the whole experience at the Olympic Games.

“You just take in what other people have done like Chelsie and Lucy went three years ago.

“I am just taking advice from them. It’s an individual sport when you’re out there on the mat but it’s important that as a team we’re there to help one another.”