Chris Skelley

Christopher Peter Hunt Skelley (born 9 July 1993) is a British former Paralympic judoka who competes in the visually impaired under 100 kg category. In 2016 it was announced that he has been selected to represent Great Britain at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio. In 2021 Chris became Paralympic champion after winning Gold in the -100 kg category in the Tokyo Paralympics. In 2024, Chris became a Paralympic bronze medalist in the +90 kg category in the Paris 2024 Paralympics.

Personal history Skelley was born in Nottingham and raised in Kingston Upon Hull. As a youth he was a keen athlete and enjoyed many sports playing rugby for Hull Ionians. After leaving school he took a job at a local garage, but it was noticed that his eyesight was deteriorating. He was diagnosed with ocular albinism. Skelley is married to Louise Hunt.

Judo career Skelley took up judo as a sport at the age of five. In 2014 he represented his country at the Scottish Open, taking gold in his division. The same year he won silver in the Welsh Senior Open. There he missed out on the final after being beaten by a last second yuko scoring throw by his Russian opponent Abdula Kuramagomedov, the current world medalist.

Skelley was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to judo. He announced his retirement in February 2025.