COMMONWEALTH Youth Games judoka Emma Forrest twice enjoyed a silver lining when she starred at the recent UK School Games in Loughborough.

The prestigious multi-sport event, which took place from August 31 to September 3, brought together some of the country’s most talented school-age athletes and a number of West Fife youngsters took part.

Forrest, who won silver in the Bahamas as the sport made its Commonwealth Youth Games debut in July, was back on the podium in both the individual and team competitions to complete a hugely-successful summer on the tatami.

As well as her Commonwealth success, the talented 16-year-old also struck gold competing for Team Fife in the recent Twin Town Olympiad competition in Germany before winning the latest UK ranking tournament.

Her success at the Eastern Open in Norfolk, where she won all four rounds by ippon, ensured she moved up to second place in the provisional UK rankings for her final season in the cadet ranks.

That saw her head to the School Games in confident mood and, after winning a silver gong last year, the Dunfermline High School pupil repeated the feat in a much tougher category this time around.

Starting with an arm lock defeat of England’s Emily Niven and victory over last year’s champion Catherine Brownlee with a superb seoi nage throw that was also awarded ippon, the Destination Judo Club member’s deciding bout against Commonwealth Youth Games champion Leah Grosvenor ended in stalemate.

However, Forrest’s English opponent ensured that she would again be at the top of the podium with an o goshi throw that was awarded wazari.

Following her individual success, Forrest was back in action the following day for Scotland A in the team competition, and helped them defeat Northern Ireland and England B in the group phase.

A victory over fellow Scot Leila Adrif in a one-sided semi-final followed but once again Forrest came up against Grosvenor, who won by wazari as England A took the title.

Forrest’s success was not the only West Fife success at the games, as we reported last week that Woodmill High School’s Ellie Turner won gold in the 200 metres backstroke for the Scotland South & East team.

Other local youngsters taking part included fellow swimmers Greig Rowe and Cara Smyth, fencers Robbie Brown, Fiona Russell, Mark Alvares-Peres, Eden Steele and Duncan Morrison, and athletes William Doyle and Josh Spence.

Meanwhile, there has been further recent judo success for local competitors.

Duloch’s Ryan Turnbull, in his first competition in the junior ranks after competing for Great Britain at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Hungary earlier in the summer, bagged silver at the Heart of England Open in Walsall on September 2.

In the younger age bands, Destination Judo Club’s Kirsty Lawson (A Band girls’ under-32kg, silver) and Lesley Corbett (A Band girls’ under-40 kg, bronze) and Carnegie JC’s Benjamin Fox-Kennedy (B Band boys’ over-66kg, silver) and Jamie Horn (B Band boys’ under-60 kg, bronze) all finished in the podium places in the latest round of the Scottish Grand Prix – the Highland Open in Inverness – to demonstrate the depth and quality of West Fife judo talent.