Wolverhampton graduates win Commonwealth Games judo medals for England

Three University of Wolverhampton graduates have returned from the Commonwealth Games with medals after representing England in the judo competition.

Sport and Exercise Science alumni Acelya Toprak and Kelly Petersen-Pollard both won gold medals in Glasgow, while Olympian Katie-Jemima Yeats-Brown claimed bronze.

Toprak secured victory in the women's under-57kg category, with Petersen-Pollard taking gold in the under-70kg division. Yeats-Brown added another Commonwealth medal to her collection by finishing third in the under-63kg event.

The university also celebrated the success of current student Shelley Ludford, a Sport Scholar and Midwifery student, who represented England in the women's under-78kg competition. Ludford finished fifth at the games and is due to graduate later this summer.

Ross Cloak, associate professor of Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Wolverhampton, praised the athletes' achievements.

He said: "To see three of our graduates reach the podium at a major international sporting event is an incredible achievement and reflects the quality, dedication and resilience they have demonstrated throughout their careers.

"Acelya, Kelly and Katie are outstanding ambassadors for the University of Wolverhampton and for the sport of judo. Their success is inspirational for our current students and demonstrates what can be achieved through talent, hard work and commitment.

"We are also incredibly proud of Shelley Ludford's achievement in representing England while balancing her studies as a Sport Scholar. Finishing fifth at a major international competition is a fantastic accomplishment and further demonstrates the calibre of athletes developing at the university.

"As a university, we are immensely proud to have been part of their journeys, and we congratulate them all on their outstanding performances for England."

The medal haul adds to the University of Wolverhampton's growing reputation for producing elite athletes while supporting students to balance academic study with international competition.

Toprak previously won Commonwealth silver at Birmingham 2022, while Petersen-Pollard is a former European Junior champion and multiple British champion. Yeats-Brown represented Team GB at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and has now won Commonwealth medals in 2014, 2022 and 2026.