Giles finishes in fifth at Junior Worlds

Chelsie Giles impressed as she finished in fifth place at the Junior World Championships in Abu Dhabi on Saturday 24 October.

Giles (-52kg) made a fast-paced start as she won her first two contests by ippon against Kim Eiden (LUX) and Kristine Jimenez (PAN). Her quarter-final against Mariana Esteves (POR) was a tough contest but Giles controlled it well and went ahead by waza-ari before holding off a late surge by her Portuguese opponent.

This set-up a semi-final encounter with Georgia’s Mariam Janashvili and the British judoka went ahead by waza-ari but found herself drawn level and then behind with a minute to go in the contest. With a few close decisions going against her Giles was unable to take the contest despite her best effort.

In the bronze medal contest Giles found herself on the wrong end of the referee and after four shidos she lost by hansoku make to Astride Gneto (FRA) to finish in fifth place.

Speaking afterwards Jamie Johnson, Junior Lead Coach, said: “Chelsie fought very well all day. I thought she was very unlucky to lose her semi-final versus Janashvili and to get four shidos in the bronze match. Her gripping and attack rate was a massive improvement. She won her first two matches quite comfortably and in her third match she beat the Portuguese girl she lost to earlier this year.” 

Teammates Bekky Livesey (-57kg), Jodie Caller (-57kg) and Eric Ham (-73kg) all lost out in the preliminary stages earlier in the day. Livesey got off to a good start defeating Jaeren Lee (KOR) before being caught in an arm lock early in her third round contest with Aigerim Abilkadirova (KAZ) and being forced to tap out. Caller was also forced to tap out in her second round contest against Paula Delfino (ARG).

Eric Ham was up against Huseyn Rahimli (KAZ) and despite showing up well against the senior world ranked number 63 he lost out by waza-ari.

Sunday sees 2015 Junior European champion Lucy Renshall (-63kg), Lubjana Piovesana (-63kg) and Stuart McWatt (-81kg) in action.

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