Amy Connell and Joe Kellaway boosted their Tokyo 2020 qualification bids as the pair each claimed bronze medals at the European Karate Championships in Spain.
The sport will make its debut at the Japan games next summer, with medals in Guadalajara guaranteeing spots for both fighters at the Minsk European Games in June, a crucial Olympic qualification event.
Connell was beaten 2-1 by eventual champion Jennifer Warling before hitting back to down Montenegrin fighter Jelena Maksimovic 4-3 to seal bronze in the -55kg Kumite.
Kellaway, similarly, fell agonisingly short of a place in the final, defeated 3-0 by former World Champion Luigi Busa, but claimed a dramatic golden point victory over Turkey’s Erman Eltemur in the -75kg class to take his bronze.
Elsewhere, GB’s former World and European champion Jordan Thomas thought he had won bronze in the -67kg when opponent Stefan Pokorny was disqualified before the Austrian was subsequently reinstated to the podium.
England Karate have launched an appeal against the decision, the results of which will be released on Sunday.
Image credit: BKFKarate
Sportsbeat 2019