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Wales Judo Legend Natalie Powell Insists Now Was The Right Time To Leave The Mat

Wales Judo Legend Natalie Powell Insists Now Was The Right Time To Leave The Mat

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Former world number one judoka Natalie Powell has insisted it was the right time to bring down the curtain on her glittering career. The Welsh star reached the top of the sport and became Great Britain’s first female to lead the rankings, but at 33 she has opted to retire.

By David Williams

Former world number one judoka Natalie Powell has insisted it was the right time to bring down the curtain on her glittering career.

The Welsh star reached the top of the sport and became Great Britain’s first female to lead the rankings, but at 33 she has opted to retire.

Powell competed at two Olympic Games and won bronze medals at both World and European Championships, along with gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

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But after going out at the round of 16 at the Tokyo Games three years ago and missing out on Paris this summer, she said: “Having spent over 20 incredible years travelling the world as part of the British and Welsh Judo team, the time has come for me to hang up my judogi and step into the next chapter.

“Putting my journey into words feels impossible.

“From being a kid dreaming of going to the Olympics one day, to stepping on the mat in Rio and Tokyo.

“From the highs of winning World and European medals to the training days (some of which I’d rather forget) that pushed me to my physical and mental limits.

“Judo has taught me that I’m capable of much more than I ever believed. It has given me experiences and lifelong friendships far beyond what I ever dreamed.”

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During a highly successful career, Powell competed for Team GB at both the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games.

She also became Britain’s first ever female World No.1 when she topped the -78kg rankings in 2017 following a Gold medal at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam.

She would go on to claim a total of nine Grand Slam medals on the International Judo Federation (IJF) World Tour, alongside a haul of 21 Grand Prix medals.

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Powell added: “I would like to thank British Judo and all the staff members I’ve worked with over the years.

“They supported me from the time I stepped onto the World Class Performance Programme in 2012 and gave me opportunities I could only dream of as a youngster.

“I feel very fortunate to have had such great team-mates and training partners to share the journey with.”

British Judo performance director Nigel Donohue said: “Natalie has been a fantastic athlete who has had a stellar career, including wining World and European Championships medals, Commonwealth Games Gold, multi-Grand Prix and Grand Slam medals and competing in two Olympic Games over a 12-year international career.

“As an athlete, Natalie was a hard-working, driven and professional athlete and an all-round nice person who was a pleasure to have as a member of the world class performance programme.”