Natalie Back On Top Step Of Podium In Boost To Tokyo Olympic Hopes

Natalie Powell has given her hopes of competing at this summer’s Olympic Games a huge boost after triumphing at the Tel Aviv Grand Prix.

The 29-year-old’s victory was her third Grand Prix gold medal and her first since 2017 when she was became the first Welsh judoka to be ranked world No 1.

Powell has slipped to nine since but her victory in Israel showed that her decision to move back to Cardiff from the GB training base in Walsall is paying quick dividends.

The Beulah judoka is ranked third in the Olympic qualification rankings in the -78kg but knows following up her Tel Aviv victory in forthcoming events before the end of the qualification period at the end of May would secure a top 8 ranking for Tokyo.

Powell defeated South Africa’s Unelle Snyman, Giorgia Stangherlin of Italy and Russia’s Aleksandra Babintseva to win her Pool and progress to the semi-final to face former World Championship bronze medallist Luise Malzahn (GER).

A single waza ari was enough to see Powell defeat Malzahn and reached the final where she faced three- time European Championship bronze medallist Bernadette Graf (AUT).

Powell was dominant in the gold medal battle winning convincingly by ippon score.