GORDON DELIGHTED TO TAKE EUROPEAN MEDAL

Gordon delighted to take European medal
By Craig Nelson

Tooting's Winston Gordon finished third to win his first medal at the European Judo Championships, in Tampere, Finland last weekend.
The 29-year-old, who trains with Wandsworth Lightning, lost to the eventual gold medallist Ivan Pershin, of Russia, but came back through the repecharge to claim bronze, beating Poland's Krzysztof Weglarz in the U90kg event.
It was his best performance in a major tournament since winning the Commonwealth gold in 2002, yet many of Gordon's contemporaries gave him no chance to progress through the first round.
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"I was up against this year's form fighter," said Gordon.
"Everyone was talking in my ear saying he was going to put me out, but that just inspired me even more.
"This Georgian guy had not been beaten all year and had won all the big events so I was delighted to spoil his party."
Gordon carried his form into the later rounds, progressing through to the semi-finals of a competition that included the reigning Olympic and World champions, as well as last year's European gold medallist.
"I thought I had a good chance of beating Pershin in the semi-final, but I got my tactics wrong," said Gordon.
"Good luck to him, though, he is a good fighter and he proved that by going on and winning it. I am just delighted to have finally won another medal."
The Tooting-born blackbelt finished fifth in the 2004 Athens Olympics after accidentally putting his foot out of the ring seven seconds before the end of a semi-final bout he was winning.
He then missed last year's European championships through injury, which further hampered his progress in the World Championships last September.
Gordon's bronze medal in Finland helped Team GB to its most successful European games in a decade, with four medals, including two golds.
"We must now concentrate on building on this success as we go into next year for the Olympic qualification period," said British Judo performance director Colin McIver.
Gordon is sure to be one of Team GB's major medal hopes in the 2008 Beijing Olympics if he can qualify with a strong performance at next year's World Championships in Brazil.
4:07pm today

Fonte: http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/