BLACKBURN judoka Ashton Whalley admits that bouncing back from a pool-stage defeat made his Sainsbury’s 2015 School Games gold medal all the sweeter.

Whalley joined 1,600 other competitors in Manchester for the UK’s largest multi-sport event for elite level, school-age athletes.

The Blackburn College pupil was in action at the Armitage Site and claimed gold in the boys -55kg event while also helping England to team gold.

The 18-year-old suffered a Pool B loss to Scotland’s Oliver Park in the individual event but after qualifying for the semi-finals in second place, he beat Morgan McDonald before gaining revenge over Park in the final.

And while he headed into the competition expecting to make the podium, Whalley claims that earning a place on the top step means he won’t forget the 2015 Sainsbury’s School Games in a hurry.

“After not winning very often, to come back and win gold progresses me a bit more,” explained Whalley.

“I always go into competitions expecting to medal because if I don’t, it’s completely the wrong mindset to be in.

“I got beat by Oliver in the earlier stages and I just thought about what he does and how to work around it to hopefully beat him second time around and I did.

“This event is very good with how it’s set out. Everyone looks after each other and there’s good chanting. There’s a good atmosphere during the fights.”

The Sainsbury’s 2015 School Games, which is supported by National Lottery funding from Sport England and delivered by the Youth Sport Trust, featured 12 different sports across four days.

Whalley was in his last year of eligibility for the Sainsbury’s School Games and acknowledges that walking away with double gold was the ideal way to go out.

And as he enters the next phase of his judo career, the teenager is aiming high.

“I’m not going to any competitions abroad this year, maybe next year. Just the Welsh Championships and British Championships as well,” added the Beach Judokwai fighter.

“But my long-term goals are to win European and World Cup events and maybe even the Olympics one day.”

n The Sainsbury’s 2015 School Games is supported by a range of partners including the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Sport England, Youth Sport Trust, Department of Health and British Paralympic Association. The Games were held in venues across Manchester from September 3-6.

Visit www.2015schoolgames.com for more information.