London 2012: GB's Olympic judo boss criticises players

Some of Britain's judo players have missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become Olympic champions at London 2012, says team chief Densign White.

GB have endured a poor tournament so far, with Colin Oates the only judoka to win a bout from eight contenders.

"You hear all these excuses - this one has a university course to finish, this one has that problem," said British Judo Association chairman White.

"You have one chance to be at this level, you have to make sacrifices."

Oates reached the quarter-finals of the under-66kg but Scottish hope Euan Burton lost in his first contest.

Heavyweight Karina Bryant is now the last genuine hope of ending Britain's 12-year wait for an Olympic judo medal.

White, who competed at three Games from 1984 to 1992, believes a change in mentality around a centralised training base at the BJA Performance Institute in Dartford, Kent, is needed.

"I understand if an athlete is 33 or 34, it is difficult for them to relocate and disrupt their whole life, but if you want to be an Olympic champion, then, I am sorry, that is what you have to do," he said.

"I made sacrifices when I was an athlete and there was not half the money we have now. We had nothing, we were on the dole and training full-time.

"In 1988, I remember our manager telling us we had £28,000 to prepare for the Olympics, that is the whole squad, for everything."

White, who is set to stand down from his position later this year, added: "It would have been nice to have had a medal by now, but our expectations of the games results was probably one medal.

"We still have athletes with the potential to medal going on in the next few days, so it is not all lost yet."