Four bronze medals for GB Judo at Coimbra Junior European Cup

Nearly 400 junior fighters headed to Portugal this weekend to compete at the coveted Coimbra European Junior Cup.

38 GB Judo fighters were in action with 4 judoka taking home bronze medals.

Bradley Stoke’s Ethan Nairne entered the -73kg competition seeded 3^rd and certainly lived up to that seeding as he claimed bronze on the opening day. Emerging from his Pool victorious following victories over Lenni Uro (FIN), Saba Danelia (POR), Nabil Hachem (FRA) and Tomas Gomes (POR).

Following a defeat in the Semi-Final to eventual gold medallist Daniyl Zoubko (FRA), Nairne had to settle for a bronze medal fight against 6^th seed Gianmarco Lepre (ITA) where an ippon score in the final 10 seconds of the contest secured his first international medal.

Also picking up a medal on the opening day was Camberley Judo Club’s Simone Cross (-70kg). 5^th seed Cross was defeated in her second-round contest by 3^rd seeded fighter, Noelia Insua Iglesias (ESP) however, thanks to the double repechage format of the competition she had reprieve when the Spanish fighter went on the win the Pool.

Cross overcame Adelina Tugutschii (MDA) and Ana Vizoso Hernandez (ESP) to book her place in the bronze medal contest against Annemarijne Poleger (NED). There was nothing between the two fighters until Poleger picked up a third shido in Golden Score to hand victory, and a first international medal to Cross.

There was double medal success on day two in the -52kg category as both Tatum Keen and Hannah Wood won bronze medals. Bradley Stoke’s Keen entered at 4^th seed whist Judo Scotland’s Wood was seeded 6^th.

Both Keen and Wood topped their respective Pools with Keen defeating Spanish fighters Veronica Perez-Pacheco and Laura Gomez-Antona, whilst Wood overcame Ines-Teresa Villahoz-Martinez (ESP), Floor Maats (NED) and Emma Stoppari (ITA).

Keen faced top seed Guilia Carna (ITA) whilst Wood faced 2^nd seed, and eventual gold medallist Ariane Toro-Soler (ESP) in the Semi-Finals, however defeat for both fighters meant they progressed to the bronze medal contests.

Keen was a waza-ari score up against Stopperi before the Italian picked up a third shido whilst Wood made it two bronze medals for GB Judo with victory over Gomez-Antona.

Elsewhere there was a 7^th place finish for Gregor Miller in the -100kg category.