British judoka Emma Reid achieved a significant milestone by winning silver at the European Championships, marking the first medal of her career at this prestigious event. This achievement comes after she finished fifth in 2025, showcasing her remarkable progress in the sport.

In the -78kg final, held in Tbilisi, Georgia, Reid faced off against Italy's Alice Bellandi and despite her best efforts, she fell short of the gold medal.

Expressing her joy, the 30-year-old athlete stated, "I'm very happy with my performance, and it's great to end the day with a medal." This success follows her bronze medal win at the World Championships in 2024, further solidifying her status in judo.

Reid's journey to the final included impressive performances:

• She secured victory in the last-16 against Ukrainian Anna Kazakova using sankaku-gatame.
• In the quarter-finals, she triumphed over Lithuanian Migle Julija Dudenaite with a juji-gatame.
• Reid guaranteed at least a silver medal by forcing Slovenia's Metka Lobnik to submit just one minute into their semi-final match.

Reflecting on her journey, Reid noted, "It has been a tough and busy block at the start of this year, so it's nice to see the hard work paying off with my first European Championships medal." Her dedication and perseverance have truly paid off.