Linwood coach, 66, wins top international judo award

David McGuire, 66, who lives in East Kilbride but coaches judo in Linwood, first started learning the sport when he was 12 years old.

After taking a break at age 14 until his mid 40s, David now represents Scotland on the world stage, securing a bronze medal for Great Britain at the most recent Veterans World Championships in Las Vegas earlier this month.

David (above, wearing blue) picked up a bronze medal at the world championships earlier this month (Image: Jessica Beauchamp, supplied by David McGuire) The competition – which took place from November 4 to 7 and was organised by the International Judo Federation – saw more than 1250 people from around 65 different countries compete.

The Veterans Championships are open to anyone over the age of 30, with different categories for various age groups.

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David competed in the M8 under 100kg category, for men aged between 65 and 69, where he fought against people from Cuba, Canada and Bosnia.

“It was great, but tiring,” he told the Gazette.

David (left) pictured alongside other GB medalists (Image: David McGuire) “It’s good to be able to compete. I’m competing against people within that five-year age gap, so it’s not as if I’m fighting 20-year-olds anymore.”

David said the event was “competitive”, adding: “Everybody’s there to win.”

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“Maybe people don’t realise that people of my age still do these things, but we do,” he continued.

“The age changes, but the competitive nature doesn’t.”

David is the current Scottish champion for the same category after coming top of his group in the Scottish Open in Inverclyde in January.

In June, he picked up a bronze medal at the European championships in Saravejo, Bosnia. Last year, he won gold at the British championships for the same category.

He said he owes a lot of his success to his club in Linwood – the Genki Judo Club – where he is one of four coaches, alongside Hugh, Tony and Allan. He also trains at a club in East Kilbride.

He said the response from his club has been “very supportive”.

Genki Judo Club coaches Hugh and Allan (front) present members with grading awards (Image: David McGuire) “They’re delighted, they’re obviously partly responsible for getting me there and helping me with the training and everything like that.

“They put a lot of hard effort into it.”

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David said his training consisted of doing judo between two and three times a week, as well as strength and conditioning training in the months leading up to the competition.

Looking ahead, he plans on taking on the Scottish championships in January, the European championships in May, and the British championships in October.

He added that he wasn’t yet sure if he would be attending next year’s world championships, which have not been announced yet.

“It depends on where it is, because it’s quite expensive to get there and you’ve got to plan ahead,” he said.

Genki Judo Club runs in Linwood on Saturdays from 12pm to 1.30pm at the On-X Linwood Sports Centre. For more information, click here.

Responding to the achievement, Judith McLeary, CEO of Judo Scotland, said: "We extend our heartfelt congratulations to David McGuire on his well-deserved Bronze medal at the Judo World Championships Veterans in Las Vegas.

"Veterans judo in Scotland is thriving, with dedicated athletes like David showcasing their passion and skill on the global stage.

"Their success highlights the strength and growth of our veteran community, inspiring judoka of all ages to continue their journey on the tatami."