Six medals for GB at Czech European Cup

Gemma Howell won her fourth gold medal in six weeks at the Czech European Cup on Saturday as Britain hit the medal trail in Prague.

Howell, 22, was in irresistible form as she didn’t drop a point in any of her four contests and won two by way of ippon.

The 2012 British Open winner defeated Christiane Hofman (GER) by ippon and followed up by besting Anna Bernholm (SWE) by waza-ari.

The semi-final pitted the -63kg judoka against Antoinette Hennink (NED) and Howell was clinical as she won by ippon after taking the lead via a yuko score.

In the final the Briton defeated Edwige Gwend (ITA) by yuko to top the medal rostrum for the third time this month having triumphed at World Cup’s in Romania and Estonia.

In the -60kg category Ashley McKenzie lost out in his opening contest to the eventual silver medallist Ludovic Chammartin (SUI) but bounced back in the repechage with four victories – three by way of ippon – to take a hard-fought bronze medal.

In the -66kg category Colin Oates recorded four wins to meet 2012 European silver medallist Hovhannes Davtyan (ARM) in the semi-final.

Oates lost out by waza-ari but reverted to the repechage and the bronze medal contest where he dispatched two-time European bronze medallist Elio Verde (ITA) via two yuko scores.

In the -73kg category both bronze medals went to Britain as Danny Williams and Patrick Dawson come to the fore.

Williams recovered from a semi-final loss to defeat Sergiy Pliyev (UKR) for bronze while Dawson, who impressively toppled Olympic-bound Nick Tritton (CAN) by ippon in the prelims, sealed a place on the rostrum alongside his compatriot with victory by ippon against Sam Van T Westende (NED).

In the -81kg category Euan Burton lost out to eventual gold medallist Laszlo Csoknyai (HUN) in the preliminary rounds but fought back in the repechage with two wins including a close contest against Travis Stevens (USA) who will be seeded at the Olympic Games.

Burton finished in fifth-place after suffering defeat against Matus Milichovsky (SVK).

In the -70kg category Sally Conway was edged out in an absorbing semi-final clash against two-time Olympic medallist Edith Bosch (NED). Conway reverted to the bronze medal contest and dominated Irina Gazieva (RUS) with three yuko scores before sealing victory with her second waza-ari.

Connie Ramsey, Katie-Jemima Yeats-Brown and Caroline Kinnane all narrowly missed out on bronze medals as they finished in fifth-place.

Meanwhile in the European Cadet Championships in Montenegro, Britain’s best results went to Enrico Atkinson who finished in fifth-place and Jodie Caller who took seventh.