15-year-old Britain Hayley Willis claimed bronze at the Junior World Judo Championship in South Africa.
Teenager produces best perofrmance to win junior judo bronze
15-year-old Britain Hayley Willis produced the best result of her career as she claimed bronze at the Junior World Judo Championship in South Africa.
Willis bagged a hugely impressive bronze medal in Cape Town to show case her ability as a promising hope for the future.
The 15-year-old from Dagenham, who has starred on the cadet circuit this year, opened her -44kg campaign with a convincing win over America's Vanessa Calimquim courtesy of a waza-ari and ippon.
The Stratford Judo Club judoka edged past France's Marine Lhenry by a yuko before defeating Spain's eventual bronze medallist Cristina Casas by ippon.
In the semi-final Hayley fell to a narrow defeat against Brazil's Agueda Silva.
The loss saw the British starlet revert to the repechage where she squared off with Serbia's Julijana Savic. Hayley registered two yuko scores and pressured throughout for a comfortable victory and a superb bronze medal.
Fantastic
British Judo's Lead Development Coach Kate Howey, who was matside for all of Hayley's fights, said: "Hayley had a fantastic day in Cape Town, she had three wins before the semi, against an American with a juji gatame, French opponent with a yuko, and a Junior European silver medallist from Spain with a ippon in the last second.
"Her semi was against a Brazilian and although Hayley was in the fight she was caught for ippon with uchi mata. Hayley picked herself up well and won her bronze medal by beating Serbia's 2010 Junior European Champion with a yuko and two shido's.
"This was very impressive as Hayley is only 15 and has many more years ahead at this level. It also rounds off a medal winning year for Hayley as a cadet she has major medals and now at junior level she is making her mark."
After stepping off the medal rostrum Hayley said: "It feels amazing to have won a medal here.
"From the beginning of the day I felt on form and knew I had put the work in before I came to South Africa, so my confidence was high. I have had such a brilliant year and this is a magical end to it."
