Lucy Renshall set to make her Olympic Debut

“It is amazing to be making my Olympic debut, it has taken an extra year, but being here now and being immersed in the Olympic bubble I am having to pinch myself that it is real. I am so proud to be here representing Team GB.”

Lucy Renshall’s Olympic qualification went to the final event, but on Tuesday she will make her Olympic debut when she competes in the -63kg category at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

“I am coming to Tokyo in the form of my life. I got my best judo result just a few months ago, when I won gold at the Antalya Grand Slam. That result gives me a huge amount of confidence and I know I am capable of reaching the top step of the podium.”

Renshall has been handed a tough opening round contest against home favourite Miku Tashiro (JPN).

Contest Number: 12
Approximate 1st Round time: 3:45am

Approximate 2nd Round time: 4:30am (Contest 22)
Approximate Quarter Final time: 4:50am (Contest 27)

“I have the number three seed in the opening round, she is a four time World medallist, so it is a tough draw. I just have to get my head around it, ultimately if I want to win a medal I will likely have to face her. Whilst we haven’t fought in a competition we have trained together, so I do know how she fights. I will be going into the contest confident after sitting down with my coach and creating a game plan prior to the fight.”

This will not be the first time Renshall will have competed in Tokyo.

“I competed in Tokyo in 2019 at the World Championships and I remember the atmosphere being unlike any I have experienced before, there was a real ‘feel good’ vibe inside the venue. Maybe having no crowd will work to my advantage given I have a Japanese fighter in the opening round!”

“Team GB have done an incredible job to make the training venue and accommodation feel like home, it really does help when you feel comfortable in your surroundings. Walking around the Olympic Village and seeing so many incredible athletes from a multitude of sports really does inspire you to give your best performance.”

“Friday was my final ‘hard’ session, we had a randori session that simulated what I will experience on the day of competition. Following this session, we will decrease the workload and mentally prepare for the competition.”

“I want to step off that mat knowing I have done all that I can and know that I have given it all.”

The action gets underway with the Preliminaries starting at 3:00am (BST) daily.

Victory Ceremonies will start around 11:30am (BST)

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