The Welsh Judo Association is delighted to announce the appointment of Natalie Powell to its newly created Head of Performance and Pathway position, following a competitive recruitment process. 

Powell brings a unique combination of world-class competitive experience and a deep understanding of the Welsh judo system across a 25-year career. Having started her journey at Irfon Judo Club, she went on to become Wales’ most successful judoka, culminating in winning gold at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, representing Great Britain at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and becoming the first British female judoka to rise to world number one.

Following her retirement from competition, Powell progressed into coaching, joining the WJA as Commonwealth Games Performance Coach earlier this year, where she will continue to lead the eight-judoka selected to represent Wales through the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games before formally commencing in the new role on 1^st October 2026.

Powell’s appointment reflects a significant evolution in how the WJA will develop its performance and pathway structures beyond this summer’s Games. As the WJA prepares for its next strategic cycle, Powell will play a key role in undertaking a comprehensive review of existing systems and will hold responsibility for driving a positive high-performance culture, supporting coach development and strengthening partnerships across the judo community. Alongside driving performance outcomes, the role will place a strong emphasis on culture, wellbeing and ensuring the values of judo are lived and breathed both on and off the mat.

“We are absolutely delighted to be welcoming Natalie to our leadership team on a permanent basis later this year,” said the WJA’s Chief Executive Officer, Ben Jeffreys.

“Natalie impressed us at every stage of what was a highly rigorous recruitment process and has consistently displayed the qualities we were seeking in our next leader. She articulated a clear vision for how we can evolve our performance and pathway structures and create a system capable of delivering a positive impact.
“Natalie’s appointment marks the beginning of what will be a long-term project, where our ambitions will be underpinned by a commitment to create lasting change for everybody connected to judo in Wales.  We are incredibly excited about what the future holds under her leadership.”

On being tasked with leading the WJA’s performance and pathway system into the future, Powell said: “Welsh judo has been a huge part of my life, first as an athlete and now as a coach, so this opportunity means a great deal to me.

“I am excited to take on this role and help shape the future of Welsh judo by supporting our athletes, coaches and clubs to reach their ambitions. My focus will always be on creating the best possible environment for people to develop, perform and succeed.”