Patrick Roux feels Team GB's judo fighters are on course for their ultimate goal of success in London.
Team assembles for Paris with London on the horizon
Head coach Patrick Roux feels Team GB's judo fighters are on course for their ultimate goal of success at London 2012 as they prepare to head to the World Championships in Paris.
A 15-strong squad will travel to France later this month looking to maintain momentum towards delivering Olympic medals in a year's time.
Sophie Cox and Colin Oates both claimed bronze at the 2011 European Championships, while Scotland's Euan Burton is ranked in the world's top six at 80kg.
There is plenty of depth to the elite British squad.
Karina Bryant, world silver medallist in 2009, and former European champion Sarah Clark have both delivered gold medals from the recent Miami World Cup event, while 2010 European Under-23 champion Ashley McKenzie, Craig Fallon - hoping to compete at his third Olympics in 2012 - and World Championships veteran Winston Gordon are also part of the Paris squad.
Roux has been selective in his team's entry, even though the International Judo Federation competition rules allow two fighters per weight category, which will make the championships twice as tough for British fighters.
Roll on 2012
The Frenchman - European champion and world bronze medallist in 1987 - believes Team GB remain on track for a strong showing at London 2012, where they will have 'Home Nation' automatic qualification status.
"We are in a very positive moment, we have just come back from a training camp in Germany and all the staff and fighters are very focused for this final block of preparation,'' Roux said at the World Championship media and open training session from the British Judo Performance Institute in Dartford.
"It is very clear the team is improving, we had 14 players who got medals in recent Olympic qualifying events.
"Now we have a group of fighters who are really connected to that level of competition, and one year before the Olympics, this is exactly what we need.
"There is still a long time to go to London. Although it will run very quickly, there is still enough time to polish everything.''
Roux added: "If you go to the Olympics with 12 players who have already met the standard, then you have a chance to deliver three or four medals.
"We are not just gambling on one or two athletes, we are trying to build a team and the international performances are improving all the time.''
