Gemma Howell bags judo gold at Euro Open
Gemma Howell has won her first international gold medal in judo for four-and-a-half years.
The London 2012 Olympian, who trains at Wolverhampton Judo Club bounced back from operations on her knee and neck to triumph in the under-70kg category at the Euro Open in Prague.
She beat German Sarah Maekelburg in the final, even though she walked to the wrong mat for her bout.
It gives her chances of competing for Great Britain at the Tokyo Olympics next year a huge boost.
Howell tweeted: “After back to back knee and neck operations I’m super happy to be back on the podium.
“My mom came to watch me in Czech with Hungarian money. I walked onto the wrong mat for my final. I wonder where I get it from.”
Howell, who competed at the London 2012 Olympics in the -63kg category, won four bouts in Prague in just seven minutes of fighting.
It’s her first international victory since she won the Euro Open in Glasgow in 2014.
