Former world judo number one Powell retires

Wales' astir successful judoka, Natalie Powell, has brought an extremity to a profession which saw her triumph medals astatine each awesome title different than nan Olympic Games.

Powell, 33, won bronze medals astatine some World and European Championships, on pinch golden astatine nan the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

In 2017 she became Great Britain’s first female world number one, topping nan -78kg rankings pursuing a golden badge astatine nan Abu Dhabi Grand Slam.

She vanished seventh astatine nan 2016 Olympic Games successful Rio and besides competed astatine nan Tokyo Olympics successful 2021.

“Having spent complete 20 unthinkable years travelling nan world arsenic portion of nan British and Welsh Judo team, nan clip has travel for maine to bent up my judogi and measurement into nan adjacent chapter,” said Powell.

Starting astatine nan Irfon Judo Club successful Builth Wells, Powell made her debut connected nan world shape astatine nan 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, wherever she won silver.

She went connected to triumph 9 Grand Slam medals connected nan International Judo Federation (IJF) World Tour, on pinch 21 Grand Prix medals and six astatine world championships.

She won 3 European bronzes and different successful nan World Championship arsenic good arsenic her 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth gold, positive a metallic for Wales successful Birmingham 2022.

“Putting my travel into words feels impossible," Powell added.

"From being a kid dreaming of going to nan Olympics 1 day, to stepping connected nan mat successful Rio and Tokyo.

"From nan highs of winning World and European medals to nan training days (some of which I’d alternatively forget) that pushed maine to my beingness and intelligence limits.

"Judo has taught maine that I’m tin of overmuch much than I ever believed. It has fixed maine experiences and lifelong friendships acold beyond what I ever dreamed.”

Powell thanked each her coaches and British Judo staff, paying peculiar tribute to four-time Olympian Kate Howey MBE, who worked pinch her passim her career.

"A typical convey you to Kate," she said.

"You person been location for maine nary matter what, you’ve picked maine up erstwhile I’ve been astatine my lowest and celebrated pinch maine astatine my highest.

"Both connected and disconnected nan mat you’ve supported maine and that is simply a large portion of why I tin look backmost connected my profession truthful fondly."

Howey, nan only British female to person won 2 Olympic judo medals, said: “I person worked pinch Natalie for a very agelong clip and person had nan pleasance of coaching her erstwhile she won various World and European medals and yet [at] 2 Olympic Games.

“There person been galore highs and immoderate lows successful nan past 12 years but yet done it all, bully and bad, I consciousness privileged to person been portion of her judo journey. I wish her each nan champion for immoderate is adjacent successful her life.”