Adam Hall, High-Performance Judo Coach at the University of Bath, has stepped out of retirement to compete in the men’s +100kg judo category at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Having retired from competition eight years ago to focus on coaching, Hall is now aiming for ‘one last hurrah’ on the international stage and hopes to make it a golden finale.
Hall began his coaching journey as an assistant to Juergen Klinger and took over as the lead coach for Team Bath Judo in 2020. Although he served as a coach for Team England at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, he felt an urge to add a Games appearance as an athlete to his achievements.
“Judo wasn’t included in the Commonwealth Games back in 2018 when I was still training full-time, so I thought I’d see if I could make it this time,” Hall explained. Starting with a victory at the English Senior Open and securing a bronze medal at the European Cup in Latvia earlier this year, Hall demonstrated he still possessed the competitive edge needed. These successes earned him a place on the Northern Ireland squad for Glasgow.
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Despite his return, Hall emphasised this is not a full-time comeback. “I’ve learned you can’t train like a 20-year-old when you’re 38,” he admitted. “This is the last hurrah, then back to coaching full-time and no more competitions.”
Hall, whose mother hails from Northern Ireland, will compete on the final day of the Games, Sunday. He anticipates support from his training squad but acknowledges that it could add extra pressure. “A gold medal would be really good – go big or go home,” he said. “I’ll train and prepare as best I can and give it my all.”
In addition to his personal preparations, Hall recently led a two-day Team Bath Judo training camp at the University’s Sports Training Village. The camp attracted nearly 100 judoka from across the UK and Europe, spanning all levels from promising youngsters to seasoned international athletes. This followed the most successful West of England Open held at the Sports Training Village, a National Ranking Event that recorded over 500 entries - a significant increase from around 300 in previous years.
“This growth has been fantastic,” Hall noted. “The training camp and the competition showcased what Team Bath and the University of Bath offer to judo players.”
Hall first joined Team Bath Judo as a student-athlete in 2007 and has since played a prominent role in both coaching and promoting the sport at the university.
For further details about the high-performance judo programme at the University of Bath, visit teambath.com/judo.