Paris Grand Slam: Nekoda Smythe-Davis & Ashley McKenzie win bronzes
- Published
Ashley McKenzie (centre) celebrates his bronze medal
British judoka Nekoda Smythe-Davis and Ashley McKenzie won bronze medals at the Paris Grand Slam on Saturday.
Smythe-Davis lost to world number two Tsukasa Yoshida in the semi-final of the -57kg division but won the contest for third when Israel's Timna Nelson Levy picked up three shidos.
McKenzie lost his -60kg quarter-final but won the repechage final to reach the bronze-medal contest.
He beat Brazil's Phelipe Pelim in the opening 30 seconds.
Pelim had beaten McKenzie in both their previous encounters but the Briton threw the Brazilian for ippon with a dynamite tai-otishi.
McKenzie said his six-month-old daughter had travelled to watch him. "To come away with a bronze medal in front of my little girl is a dream come true," he added.
Lucy Renshall finished fifth in the -63kg division for a second successive year in Paris, conceding a third shido in golden score to lose her semi-final to Germany's Martyna Trajdos.