The Olympic dream has moved a step closer for two Shropshire judo aces – with Gemma Howell and Sarah Adlington both being crowned British champions.

Howell won in the under-57kgs weight category at the British Senior Trials in Sheffield, and the 18-year-old now has her sight firmly set on being at the London Games in 2012.

Adlington, 22, took the title in the over-78kgs section, the Shrewsbury-born judoka seeing off four rivals to come out on top.

Both women have stayed on in Sheffield for a GB squad training camp this week, which is being overseen by the British Judo Association’s new head coach, Frenchman Patrick Roux.

Howell’s bid for senior trials glory could not have started in tougher fashion, as she was pitted against the highly-rated Faith Pitman from Essex, who only just missed out on selection for the Beijing Olympics.

The fight proved to be the toughest of the day, but Howell came out on top with two yukos and went on to top her pool and move through to the next phase.

She then made serene progress through the second pool and the final four to come out on top, Pitman recovering from that initial loss to eventually take second place.

Telford’s Becky Dunning, who has recently been on an RAF training course after finishing her studies, was also taking part in the under-57kgs section.

She fought superbly to get through the first pool but then finished third out of four in the next stage, with only two going through to the final four.

Dunning was edged out in a closely-contested fight with Edinburgh’s Kirstene Feenan, who went on to secure third place overall.

Adlington, who grew up in Bayston Hill but is now based in Edinburgh, came out on top in her section – beating Wolverhampton’s Laura Haynes into second place and Sarah Connolly of Wales into third.

Telford ace Kelly Edwards was forced to pull out of the under-48kgs section through illness, and has also been unable to attend this week’s training camp.

And it was a similar story for Shrewsbury’s Danny Williams in the men’s under-73kgs section.

He contracted a virus while competing in the junior world championships in Bangkok last month and had not recovered sufficiently to take part in the senior trials.

His form over the last few months has not gone un-noticed by the UK coaches though, and he was co-opted onto the squad and invited to take part in the training camp.

Former world champion Craig Fallon, a team-mate of Howell’s at Wolverhampton Judo Club, came out on top in the under-66kgs category.

By CHRIS HUDSON