Neumann looking to replicate judo legend Ono

By Tom Masters, Sportsbeat Judo starlet Eryk Neumann has set the ambitious target of following in the decorated footsteps of hero Shohei Ono and winning Olympic gold. Ad Neumann, 17, competes in the same weight category as Ono, 66-73kg, and if he can even replicate half of what the Japanese sensation has achieved, he will surely be regarded as an all-time great.

JudoAmbitious Leigh prepares for next step in judo journey29/09/2022 AT 11:44 Ono, 30, is a double Olympic and a six-time world champion, winning gold medals in every major competition he has featured at since 2015. But Neumann's ambition is not without foundation, with the Sutton Coldfield ace winning gold in the English Championships to add to his silver medal from the Welsh Open.

He said: «I like watching him, I like his techniques. »Some of the techniques I do are the same as his and the way he does it is just really impressive.

«For me, the long-term goal is the Olympics of course, I want to win a gold medal in that.» Neumann is a member of the Aldi's Rising Stars programme, an initiative that supports 20 young athletes by providing a financial award to help with training and competition costs, while also delivering personal development opportunities to many athletes through workshop sessions. Paris 2024 will likely come too early for the West Midlands star – making the Los Angeles 2028 Games a realistic target – but he acknowledges he has a long way to go before having a first tilt at Olympic gold.

After winning medals at both the English Championships and in Wales, next up for Neumann will be attempting to conquer Britain, before bidding to bag medals abroad. «I just finished the English Championships, the next one is probably going to be British