Karina Bryant has tasted every World Championship medal bar gold – but insists completing her collection won’t be top priority in Japan, writes Howard Lloyd.

The former Tolworth Girls’ School pupil gets a chance to claim the missing piece of the jigsaw when the championships get under way in Tokyo tomorrow(Thursday), but with the London Olympics looming large, she is looking at the bigger picture.

The 31-year-old, whose preparations have been hampered by a back injury, said: “I am keen to try and improve as a judo player and not just stagnate and stay where I am in terms of my technique and ability.

“I am keen to try and get a good result, especially with the Olympics on the horizon, but am looking a nig further ahead this time round.

“I have got a slightly different focus this year because I will be trying to implement some of the new stuff I’ve been working on with new people.

“That means moving a bit more, using my feet a bit more, a few specific techniques. If I can get some of that to work, then that would be great because I would know I am improving and heading in the right direction.

“The back injury has affected my mat-time because I was out for five or six weeks when I wasn’t doing that much training but just waiting for scans, having a few injections and just leaving it to settle “I am trying to strengthen it as well so eventually it should be completely back to normal and fine for the World Championships.”

The four-time European champion, who has claimed six continental medals in all, competed at her third Olympic Games in Beijing two years ago and admits London is where her focus lies “London 2012 is obviously going to be a great event and I’m looking forward to it more so than any other games because it’s on home soil,” added Bryant.

“We are trying to improve certain things and small bits and pieces to improve our chances in two years, but we have to keep focused on these World Championships as best we can.

“I have got a lot of experience behind me now so, perhaps unlike some of the younger people in the team, I don’t need to fight for experience.

“I will be precise now about which tournaments I want to fight in to improve and which fights I think I can get a medal in.”

* Lloyds TSB, proud partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and supporter of Team GB on their journey to London 2012. LloydsTSB.com/London2012