Lucy Renshall started the Olympic year in golden form as she topped the podium at the Portugal Grand Prix, the first event on the 2024 IJF World Tour.
Renshall entered the -63kg category as the number three seed and overcame Sevinch Isokova (UZB), Flavia Favorini (ITA) and Gankhaich Bold (MGL) to win her Pool and progress to the Semi-Finals.
Renshall then defeated Eter Askilashvili (GEO) to set up a final contest against number one seed, Katharina Hecker (AUS).
Hecker registered a waza-ari in the opening exchange and looked set to take the gold. With both fighters competing with two shidos each, the contest entered the closing stages where Hecker was awarded a third shido for stepping out of the contest area, handing victory, and the gold medal, to Renshall.
In the -70kg category there was a 5th place finish for Kelly Petersen-Pollard. Petersen-Pollard overcame Emilie Sook (DEN) and Mayu Honda (JPN) before a quarter-final defeat to Aoife Coughlan (AUS).
This progressed Petersen-Pollard to the Repechage where victory against Lucie Jarrot (FRA) secured the Brit’s place in the bronze medal contest against Miriam Butkereit (GER).
The bronze medal contest was a real battle for the grip and with nothing between the pair the contest entered Golden Score where the German judoka registered a waza-ari score in the opening minute to secure the bronze medal.
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