Sutton's Katie Dean takes the first step towards her goal of winning Team GB's first Olympic judo medal in 12 years at the 2012 Games, when she makes her senior international debut in Birmingham this weekend.

The 18-year-old Bath University student is the youngest in the women's team and will fight in the -78kg category at the World Cup meeting at the National Indoor Arena on Saturday.

Britain take on competitors from nations including Germany, Canada, Belgium, Finland, USA, Spain, New Zealand, Norway, Lithuania and Japan, with a host of Beijing Olympians on show.

Dean was selected on the strength of her bronze medal winning efforts at the British Open in May and is currently third in her catergory of the national rankings.

She has been added to the reserve list for the GB U20 squad bound for the European Championships in Poland later this month and October's Junior World Championhips in Thailand.

And the youngster is now hunting the sponsorship to realise her Olympic dream.

"Now she has finished her A levels Katie has been offered the chance to train full time with twice Olympic silver medalist Neil Adams MBE in Cardiff," said mum Candace.

"But she is yet to secure the funding to help her fulfill her potential and to achieve her goal."