WESTWOOD Karate Academy had a gold-rush in three major competitions.

At the Shotokan World Championships in Portugal, which had competitors from 18 countries, eight of the 15-strong England squad were Westwood students. The squad won nine gold, eight silver and 11 bronze medals.

Westwood’s Michael Williams and Elyssia Johnston won the junior team kata, and Jason Sanchez and Dan Dunmore the senior team kata. Williams also won two bronze medals for individual kata and kumite, while Johnston claimed a silver for individual kata.

Kiersty Johnston won a bronze for individual kata and silver medals for individual kumite and team kumite.

Jay Church also won silver as a member of the team kumite.

Marites Tomlinson won a bronze medal in the senior kumite event, and a silver in the kata, while Lee Wiseman won bronze in the kata event.

TSKUK squad coach Alan Parrish said: “The results are a fantastic achievement – they have proved themselves to be world class.”

At the Traditional Shotokan Karate UK Championships (TSKUK) in Hertfordshire, the club claimed gold in 25 events and had more than 60 silver and bronzes.

Marites Tomlinson won the black belt kata and kumite events, and Michael Williams and Elyssia Johnston each won five events.

Other winners were Callum Hughes, Cameron Hall, Calesse Johnston, Ben Faulkner, Perry Byford, Thomas Gavriel, Holly Brown, Abigail Poore, Liam Denton, James Rolfe, Ryan Copeland, Ben Brown, Beth Stansfield, Bradley Barrett, David Winning, Brandon Evans, Kiersty Johnston, Charlotte Bartlett, Sophie Wade, and Claire Honey.

At the National Open Shotokan Championships in Oldham, 12 Westwood members were part of the 30-strong TSKUK representative squad which won 21 medals and trophies.

Calesse Johnston won in the girls’ black and brown belt kumite category, and Luke King was runner-up in the individual kumite, and in the team kata along with Liam Denton and Lewis Collins.

The team kata of Michael Knowles, Matthew Poore and Sam Marriott were second in the senior event.

The senior kumite team of Charlie Tarr, Jamie Broadhurst and Jake Holliday came third.