Natalie Powell’s Hopes Of Fourth Straight European Medal Dashed

Wales’ top judoka Natalie Powell had to settle for seventh place at the European Games in Minsk as she missed out on a  fourth straight medal.

The 28-year-old won her second round contest in the -78kg category against Russia’s Antonina Shmeleva having been handed a first round bye.

But Powell, a bronze medallist at the last three European Championships, lost her quarter-final battle to Slovenia’s Klara Apotekar.

That put the Beulah judoka into the repechage at the Chizhovka Arena with the Games also incorporating this year’s European Champs.

But there the 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist lost to an old rival in France’s world No 3 Madeleine Malonga to see her Games ended.

The 2nd European Games, the last multi-sport event before next year’s Tokyo Olympics, also carried qualifying points for Japan.

Powell, who has also won bronze at the worlds, was unable to defend her Commonwealth Games title in Australia last year as judo was not on the schedule.