After a remarkable year, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu squad from Gracie Barra Isle of Man attended their last tournament of 2022, the prestigious British Nogi Championship.

The team of five competitors brought home a total of seven medals, including four gold, one silver and two bronze.

The academy’s Alanna Pritchard – who recently became the IBJJF European Champion in November and who previously became British Gi Champion in June – was keen to obtain another win in this event to make it a triple.

She faced an experienced competitor in the quarter-finals but had a dominant win on points, with no points scored against her to take her into the semi-finals where she faced a European medallist and won.

Throughout the final she showed a level of maturity to her game that she has continually honed throughout the year which consisted of patience, skill and undeniable tenacity, and she added British Nogi champion to her incredible accolades.

Wanting a further test of her skills, Pritchard took part in the absolute division (no upper weight limit) and took gold, becoming the division and absolute adult British Nogi champion to cap a superb year.

Nogi coach Mark Franklin put it all on the line in a very experienced bracket after having dominant victories in other tournaments throughout the year. He won his semi-final via submission and went into the final with a considered approach and well thought out strategy which meant he took gold with a clear win on points.

He proudly becomes the first male British champion from the Isle of Man.

In her third tournament in the space of a month, IBJJF European silver medalist and recent Manchester Open champion Hayley Curtis rounded off what has been an incredible journey for her this year with a dominant, controlled and tactical win on points in her final to become the gold-winning British champion. She also brought home a bronze in the absolute division – the development in her game has been nothing short of amazing.

Shirley Tung produced a great performance against the eventual winner in her quarter-final match but didn’t manage to do enough to get the win and therefore brought home a bronze as a result.

Junior competitor Summer Roberts became the first child to compete in the British championship from the Isle of Man and faced a heavier opponent in the final which, despite her efforts, led to her bringing back a silver.

Head coach Conrad Roberts paid tribute to his fighters: ‘Our last tournament this year and what a great one to finish. What an amazing year it has been for the academy and the competition squads in particular.

‘I set some big goals for the squads at the start of the year and I’m beyond proud to say that the team put the effort in and made them all happen.

‘In one year we went from having a strong team who were frequently medalling at UK regional and national events to multiple British, international and European champions and medallists. The team has literally won hundreds of medals this year.

‘We will continue to push the boundaries as to what an Isle of Man sports team can do in 2023. None of this would have been possible without the incredible coaching team, the supportive families of our competitors and our kind sponsors - thank you.’