BASINGSTOKE teenage judo star Shelley Ludford is set to take a big step towards her ultimate dream of going to the Olympics.

The martial artist will be part of Team GB at the European Youth Olympic Festival, which gets under way this weekend.

The event, which is being held in Tbilisi, Georgia, gets under way on Saturday, when the opening ceremony will take place.

Ludford is part of a 44-strong British team made up of athletes aged between 13 and 17, many of whom are already working towards the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Brighton Hill’s Ludford will compete in the under-70kg weight category in both the individual and team events.

She said she is really looking forward to the whole experience.

Ludford said: “This is the first time I have been to Tbilisi and I am really excited about being part of the British team.

“I think it is going to be a great experience and give me some idea of what the real Olympics are like to compete in.

“My dream has always been to compete at the Olympics, ever since I watched Gemma Gibbons and Karina Bryant win medals at London in 2012.”

“I am sure the competition in Tbilisi will be stiff.

“I don’t know who I will be up against so I am not thinking about winning medals at the moment.

“I just want to make sure that I win my first fight.”

The 16-year-old, who has just left Brighton Hill Community School and will be attending Basingstoke College of Technology in the autumn, has been training at Judo Club Osaka in Aldershot ready for the big event.

Ludford, who is the reigning cadet British champion, is no stranger to European competition, having won a bronze medal at the Cadet Judo European Cup in Portugal in May.

She had an excellent year in 2014, winning international events in Holland, Scotland and Belgium, as well as a silver medal at the Sainsbury’s School Games.