Tooting judo star Winston Gordon hopes the spirit of 2002 can help him conquer the world in 2012.

The 35-year-old middleweight judoka was last week named in the Team GB squad for next year’s London Games, despite missing the recent test event at London’s ExCel Centre at the weekend through injury.

The two-time Olympian, who will now make his third successive Olympic appearance next summer, won Commonwealth Games gold when the event was hosted in Manchester nearly 10 years ago.

And the Ernest Bevin College coach, knows home support will have played a big part in his success should he better his previous best showing at an Olympics – fifth in Athens in 2004 – by getting a medal in London.

“I had the feeling you get from home support at the Commonwealth Games,” said Gordon, who started his judo career at the school.

“That was phenomenal and one of the highlights of my career.

“But competing in the London 2012 Olympics will just be the greatest feeling and I know the crowd will get behind us all the way.”

“What can be better than representing your country in your home city at the Olympics?”

Gordon is recovering from a dislocated finger – an injury he picked up during the World Cup in Samoa, where he took a silver medal in November.

And despite getting the nod for the squad, the veteran is only too aware that is only half the battle won.

“I have been working towards this for so long; it was great to get the letter confirming I am part of the squad,” he added.

“But so much can happen between now and July and I know this is when the really hard work begins.”

Gordon became hooked on judo as a pupil at Ernest Bevin – where he now coaches – and he hopes his exploits can help attract the sport’s next generation.

“Judo was part of the school curriculum then. There was a display in assembly and P.E teacher Margaret Hicks asked if anyone wanted to try and escape a hold-down,” he said.

“I was one of the fortunate ones to get picked out and I couldn’t get out of the hold.

“We’ve got a good crop of children coming through here now and it’s really starting to show.

“Hopefully we have more great days to come for these guys and we’ll see what the future holds for not just me, but them as well.”