European Judo Championships

A Cardiff student has come seventh at the European Judo Championships after an impressive performance that saw her defeat a former world silver medallist.

Natalie Powell, a student in the School of Biosciences and a member of the University's High Performance sport programme was selected as part of a 16-strong squad that represented British Judo at the recent European Judo Championships in Budapest.

Competing in the -78Kg category on the final day of the event, Natalie was drawn against former world silver medallist and five-time European medallist Maryna Pryshchepa. After a victory in that round, Natalie went on to face two further competitors and ended the event in seventh place overall.  

Stuart Vanstone, Head of Sport at the University said: "This was an impressive performance by Natalie and a valuable experience for her as she prepares for next year's Commonwealth Games. Natalie is one of our highest achieving and ambitious students and consistently manages to balance her academic work with her training. We would like to congratulate her on her success in this event."

The University's High Performance Sports Programme provides elite sportsmen and women with the opportunity to develop their sporting potential whilst studying at a prestigious University. Benefits include structured sport and academic support, access to physiotherapists and sports psychologists, and possible financial assistance.