GB Judo Weekend Review: 07 – 08 April 2018

Lignano Junior European Cup

Harry Lovell-Hewitt (-90kg) continued his fine start to 2018 with gold in Italy. The Stroud judoka had won silver in Coimbra last month and went one better as he won four of his five contest by ippon.

In the second round Lovell-Hewitt had to come back from a waza-ari down against home judoka Gennaro Pirelli (ITA) but he showed his determination to finish the fight with over two minutes to left.

After coming through a tough semi-final against Russia’s Eldar Allakhverdiev, Lovell-Hewitt was too good for Apor Toth (HUN) in the final.

The British judoka finished the contest by ippon with just over a minute and a half gone on the clock.

Acelya Toprak (-57kg) marked her return to the Junior IJF World Tour with a silver medal. The Metro judoka will be making her senior European Championships debut later this month and got a number of fights under her belt.

Toprak had to grind out a couple of wins including a golden score win over France’s Gaetane Deberdt that lasted just under eight minutes.

In the final against Israel’s Shaked Amihai, the British judoka went behind by waza-ari but was able to pull back a score not long after. Toprak continued to press her opponent but with less than a minute to go it was the Israeli who managed to get a second waza-ari to take the contest.

There was also a fifth place for Josie Steele at -57kg with the Higland Budokan judoka losing a close bronze medal contest to Deberdt (FRA).

Berlin Cadet European Cup

Darcie Hancocks (-57kg) won her second Cadet European Cup medal on 2018 with silver in Berlin. In her second round contest she had to come from behind against Kosovo’s Fationa Kasapi with Hancocks scoring a waza-ari with 16 seconds left to take the fight into golden score.

The British judoka would go on to finish the contest with six minutes 13 on the clock with an ippon score.

After ippon wins over Habibe Afyonlu (TUR) and Hasret Bozkurt (TUR) to her into the final, Hancocks took on her third Turkish judoka of the day in Dilay Tekin.

Tekin proved too good on the day as won the contest in newaza in the second minute to leave Hancocks with silver.

There were also fifth places for Sian Bobrowska (-48kg) and Charlie Young (-55kg) and seventh for Beau Farrance (+90kg).