Giles Progresses to Final Block on Olympic Debut

Chelsie Giles was in action this morning on the second day of the judo competition at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Seeded 7^th, Giles eased through her opening two contests. It took less than 60-seconds for Giles to book her place in Round 2 with some excellent newaza to defeat Arbresha Rexhepi (MKD) via a sankaku-jime in the opening round.

Round 2 victory took a little longer – it took 90 seconds to defeat Soumiya Iraoui (MAR) to book her place in the Quarter-Finals. A kuzure-kami-shiho-gatame hold seeing her progress via ippon score to face home favourite Uta Abe (JPN).

Giles and Abe had only met on one previous occasion prior to today – at the Quarter-Final stage of the 2019 World Championships which were also staged at the Nippon Budokan.

The Quarter-Final was a cagy affair but Giles was narrowly defeated, a sumi-otoshi, for a waza-ari score, in the final 20-seconds of the contest enough to see Abe into the Semi-Finals

Giles progressed to the Repechage to face Charline Van Snick (BEL) for a chance to fight for bronze.

Final Block action, which will see the Semi-Finals and Repechage contests, is due to start at 9am (BST). Giles is the second contest so will fight around 9:05am.

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