Isle of Man martial arts fighter Hayley Curtis was crowned double European champion over the weekend.

The Summit Grappling Academy coach made history by winning double gold at the IBJJF European Championships in Rome.

She became the first Manx athlete to win two European golds under the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation banner.

Competing in the featherweight division, Curtis secured her first gold after defeating French’s Vanessa Petitfils on points in the final, her first European title after previously earning multiple silver and bronzes.

Curtis qualified for the absolute (open weight) category where she faced the best athletes from heavier divisions.

In the semi-final, she overcame French lightweight Angélique Puaud who had earlier defeated middleweight champion Petra Kokova (Czech Republic). Curtis controlled the match from start to finish, using heavy top pressure and positional dominance to win cleanly on points.

In the final, Curtis faced Kuwait’s Hend Rezk, the reigning Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu pro champion and IBJJF Lightweight European champion.

Confident after back-to-back victories, Curtis imposed her trademark pressure-based game, taking her opponent down and passing to dominant positions to build a commanding lead.

Unable to continue, Rezk required medical attention, sealing Curtis’s victory and earning her the title of ‘champion of champions.’

Summit Grappling Academy head coach Conrad Roberts paid tribute, saying: ‘This is an incredible, ground-breaking achievement for Hayley who has battled through several major injuries over the past year. To come back and win double gold at the European Championships is truly remarkable.

‘We at Summit are incredibly proud and can’t wait to see what’s next for the island’s leading Jiu-Jitsu competitor. Myself, Hayley and Summit would like to thank Hartford Homes for continuing to support us.’