| Ryan Birch | |
| Nationality: | British (English) |
| Birth Date: | 5 April 1969 |
| Birth Place: | Kingston upon Hull, England |
| Death Place: | The Bahamas |
| Weight Class: | middleweight half-middleweight |
| Show-Medals: | yes |
Ryan Birch (5 April 1969[1] – 19 March 2013) was a British judoka, representing Great Britain in two Olympic Games.[2]
Birch was born in Kingston upon Hull. In 1991, he won the first of his two championships of Great Britain, winning the half-middleweight division at the British Judo Championships.[3] The following year he was selected by Great Britain for the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where he competed in the men's 78 kg event.[4]
In 1994, he won the gold medal at the 1994 European Judo Championships in Gdańsk, Poland.[5] In 1996, he was selected to represent Great Briatin at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, where he competed in the men's 86 kg event.[4]
In 1998, he became a champion of Great Britain for the second time after winning the title at the heavier weight class of middleweight.[3]
He married Rowena Sweatman (who also won the European judo gold medal in 1994) and had two children. On retiring from sport, he went on to become a pilot.He was killed in a road accident in The Bahamas.[6]
| Year | Tournament | Place | Weight class | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | European Judo Championships | 3rd | Middleweight (86 kg) | |
| 2000 | European Judo Championships | 5th | Half middleweight (78 kg) | |
| 2001 | European Judo Championships | 1st | Half middleweight (78 kg) |