Judo stars fight in Tel Aviv Slam
Two Shropshire judokas are gunning for Grand Slam success in Israel over a weekend of action.
Telford’s Gemma Howell begins her Tel Aviv Grand Slam competition against former world junior champion Szabina Gercsak, of Hungary, in round one today.
Seventh seed Howell, 30, is competing in the under-70kg weight category, just over a year after she claimed bronze at the Paris Grand Slam.
She has met Gercsak twice before and the duo have one victory each.
Howell has fond memories of Tel Aviv, the location where she won her European Championship bronze in 2018.
Sarah Adlington, from Shrewsbury, is also in action this weekend in the over-78kg category as the experienced player lines up for her 25th Grand Slam event.
Adlington, 34, has a bye in the first round and will entertain the winner of either Anzhela Gasparani, from Russia, or Germany’s Samira Bouizgarne in round two tomorrow.
The former Commonwealth champion’s last medal in a Slam came in the Tashkent Grand Prix (bronze) in 2018.
Action is live on British Judo’s website, with the finals tomorrow.
