Announcements

ST HELENS judoka Bekky Livesey and fellow SKK member Jodie Myers picked up bronze medals at the Madrid European Open on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 June.

Livesey, younger sister of Owen and Amy, had come fifth at the Rome European Open earlier this year and this was her first senior European Open medal while Myers, 2014 Junior European Champion, was returning from a long injury lay-off.

Livesey (-57kg) racked up a cricket score in her opening contest against Germany’s Jacqueline Lisson scoring for two yukos, a waza-ari and ippon. Her next contest with Carla Grol (NED) went to golden score and it was the British judoka who took the decisive yuko score.

French judoka Lola Bennarroche proved too strong in the semi-final but Livesey regrouped to get the better of Emily Dotzler (GER) for bronze with another yuko score proving the difference.

Wirral's Myers (+78kg), who trains with Livesey at the British Judo Centre of Excellence, won her first contest against Evadne Huecas Otero (ESP) by ippon before losing out to Kristin Buessow (GER) in the semi-final.

A tough bronze medal match saw her just edge out France’s Fatoumata M Bairo by yuko as she claimed her second senior European Open medal.