JUDO stars from St Helens won medals for their country in the European Youth Olympic Festival in Finland.
Daniel Lyon and Amy Livesey each won individual bronze and helped Team GB to third place in the overall medal table in Tampere.
Livesey, aged 15, a member of the SKK Judo Club, was delighted with her success in the –63kg category.
The 2008 National Championships gold medal winner came through her first three fights without a point being scored against her and had to contest five fights to claim her medal.
She said: “I felt strong from the beginning, but by the end of it when I got into the semi finals I was tired.
“When I lost that one I thought I’m in the bronze fight now so I’m going to put everything I’ve got into the last four minutes and I did it.”
Livesey has big plans for the future and said: “It’s been a great experience and I’ll never forget it.
“This is definitely the biggest achievement of my career and my ambition is to compete in the Olympics, hopefully in London when I’ll be 18.”
Livesy’s results: First round, beat Rabia Ergul (TUR); second round beat Eirini Sofroni (GRE); third round beat Khanim Huseynova (AZE); semi final lost to Michelle Schellekens (NED); bronze medal fight, beat Dzyunzyak (UKR).
Lyon, aged 16, had to come through six tough fights to get his hands on a hard-earned bronze medal in the -66kg category at the Tampere Ice Stadium.
“It feels good,” said the former SKK Judo Club member, who is now based at the Warjukwai club in Warrington.
“The atmosphere in the stadium was really great, especially in the bronze medal fight when everyone was getting up and cheering for me.”
Looking ahead, Lyon, has been national champion for the last three years, added: “This event has given me a little taste for the Olympics. I’ve gained great experience and it has definitely made me into a better judo player.”
Lyon’s results: First round, beat Dominik Lang (AUT); second round, lost to Irakli Lomidze (GEO); repechage round one, beat Macias (SWE) 10-0; repechage round two, beat Korczynski (FRA) 10-0; repechage round three, beat Cai (Den) 5-0; repechage round four, beat Moustopoulos (GRE) 5-0.
Nearly 2,500 athletes between 13 and 16 years old from 49 European nations competed in a total of nine sports in Tampere.
The event is aimed at giving potential Olympians experience of multi-sports events.
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