Olympics 2016: Natalie Powell 'improving' in Rio push

Natalie Powell insists she is improving as Wales' Commonwealth Games judo champion targets qualification for for this summer's Olympic Games in Rio

Powell missed out on the -78kg bronze medal on the final day of the Dusseldorf Grand Prix last weekend.

The 25-year-old won bronze at the Paris Grand Slam earlier in the month and will now head to Rio for a three-week training camp.

"My performances are getting better with every competition," Powell said.

"After a few weeks training I will be in a good place for Georgia."

Powell, who next competes in the Tibilisi Grand Prix in March, is up against 2012 Olympic runner-up Gemma Gibbons for the only Team GB slot available for Rio 2016.

Powell lost out to Anamari Velensek in the bronze medal play-off in Dusseldorf, with the Slovenian winning by ippon.

"The first few rounds went to plan and I felt really good," Powell told BBC Radio Wales Sport.

"I was really disappointed with my semi-final fight. I started off really good but I made a mistake later on and kind of thrown it away.

"I didn't perform well in the bronze fight either so what started as a really good day didn't end in the way I wanted it to."