British judoka picked up four bronze medals across two high quality competitions this weekend at the Teplice Cadet European Cup and the St Petersburg Junior European Cup on 16-17 April.

The St Petersburg tournament is considered one of the hardest on the Junior tour and it proved to be the case again this year with strong entries from across the globe including teams from Japan and Brazil.

Chelsie Giles (-52kg) displayed a good combination of her tachiwaza skill alongside contest management on her way to a place on the podium. After an opening victory over Marianna Mamitova (RUS) by waza-ari she was defeated by Japan’s Kana Tomizawa with just 25 seconds left on the clock.

Giles defeated her second Russian opponent of the day in Anastasiia Gomozkova by ippon with her next contest with Jorien Visser (NED) going the distance before the British judoka was able to throw her opponent for ippon 20 seconds into golden score.

The set-up a bronze medal contest with another Russian Anastasya Turcheva and after going behind by yuko early on Giles was able to respond with two yukos of her own. The British judoka was then able to hold off a late charge by the Russian despite conceding three shidos.

Acelya Toprak (-57kg) continued her strong start to the year with another bronze medal. After getting the better of Elena Iurkina (RUS) in her opening contest she lost a close match with France’s Margaux Silvestri in golden score by yuko.

Toprak recovered well and displayed her all-round ability in the next two contests in the repechage against Agatha Schmidt (GER) and Dilbara Kyzy Salkarbek (RUS) winning both with a combination of tachiwaza and newaza.

Brazil’s Ketelyn Nascimento was her opponent in the bronze medal contest and again it was Toprak’s throwing ability that proved the difference with a waza-ari a minute and half before the end proving the difference.

Neil MacDonald picked up his second fifth place finish of the year, this time at -60kg, after losing a close contest to Tornike Tsjakadoea (NED) for bronze.

Over Teplice Chloe Nunn and Kelly Petersen Pollard (both -70kg) came away with bronze medals both coming through six contests to finish on the podium.

Nunn won four of her contests by ippon but a single yuko was enough to give her a place on the podium in the bronze medal contest against Zala Pecoler (SLO) and with that her second podium finish of the year so far. Petersen Pollard also won four of her contests by ippon including the bronze medal match with Italy’s Anna Fortunio as she picked up her first Cadet European medal of her career.

Amy Platten (-44kg) just missed out on a medal, losing her bronze medal contest with Isabel Wiebers (NED) and finishing in fifth place.

Photo credit: Irina Gagarina, EJU