Hursey qualifies for Olympics at Euro tournament

Anna Hursey competed for Wales aged 11 at the 2018 Commonwealth Games

Teenager Anna Hursey has become the first Welsh table tennis player to qualify for the Olympic Games.

The 17-year-old earned one of five spots at the 2024 Paris Games at the European singles qualification tournament in Sarajevo.

Hursey emerged unbeaten at the group stage and then beat Dora Madarasz of Hungary 4-1 and Slovenia's Sara Tokic 4-0.

She needed two more wins to earn a place in Paris and achieved that by triumphing 4-3 against Tatiana Kukulkova of Slovakia before seeing off world number 66 Georgina Pota of Hungary 4-1.

That was Hursey's last game as the event's aim was to find Olympic qualifiers, not a tournament winner.

“I’m really happy to qualify," said Hursey.

"I was a bit nervous, but also excited before the final match. I tried to take the pressure off and play my game but I felt there wasn’t so much pressure because I’m still really young."