Diss fighter Colin Oates has had his berth at this summer's London Olympics confirmed by Team GB, and the judoka is delighted at the honour.
The 29-year-old from North Lopham will take on the under-66kg category at the Excel Arena after the British Olympic Association confirmed its 14-strong judo squad for the London Games on Tuesday.
Oates is currently away at the Czech European Cup in Prague, where he won the bronze medal contest after dispatching Italy's two-time European bronze medallist Elio Verde with two yuko scores.
But his outing in the Czech Republic will serve as a big boost, after Oates suffered a recent injury scare when a fractured shoulder ruled him out of May's British Open.
Now the Diss judoka can revel in his impending Olympic bow in Stratford, despite the Team GB announcement being delayed for several weeks – thought to be due to appeals over omissions away from Oates' category.
'It has been a bit of a wait as you say, but the fact that I'm now going to go is a big moment for me,' said Oates.
'I have had a good weekend here in Prague after my bronze, so to get the announcement off the back of that, where I am in a bit of good form…it's a great honour really.
'For me personally, there were no worries over the delay because I was a bit of a stretch ahead of the rest. So it wasn't too bad in the end. I pretty much knew and kept on with the training.'
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