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Chelsie Giles was left dazed and lost for words after her Olympic Games started and ended in just a handful of minutes.
Three years ago, Giles flew under the radar and claimed Team GB’s first medal in Tokyo with women’s judo bronze in the 52kg category.
It provided the breakthrough this former swimmer, dancer and gymnast needed, becoming the world number one the next year, while taking world silver and winning the European title.
There was no coming in quietly in Paris 2024: the hype was real and deserved after reaching the podium in seven of the ten top-tier Grand Slam events she has entered.
Some Olympic events go on for a long time; the sailing regatta, which began today in Marseille, features multiple races over multiple days and lasts hours. Get something wrong, there’s another chance to correct it, you can even discard a bad performance, a nautical mulligan. There is no Olympic do-over in judo and Giles’s Games were over in the blink of an eye - or six minutes and six seconds to be precise.
Brazil’s Larissa Pimenta, a former world medallist, was always going to be a tricky opponent and got her tactics just right, Giles penalised twice for ‘shido’ - which translates as excessive passivity.
In truth Pimenta just wouldn’t let her force her way into the contest and always looked in control.
“It was just a very tactical game, I’ve fought her several times before,” said Giles.
“I started off a bit slow, but I thought I was doing a lot better. I then just got unlucky and got caught off the wrong side.
“There is not much more that I could have done, I just got caught.”
Giles is one of over 1,000 elite athletes on UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded World Class Programme, allowing them to train full time, have access to the world’s best coaches and benefit from pioneering medical support – which has been vital on their pathway to the Paris 2024 Games.
Team GB boast a strong judo tradition at the Olympics with 20 medals, including eight silver and 12 bronze. They’ve made the podium at the last three Games - Giles in Tokyo, Sally Conway in Rio and Karina Bryant and Gemma Howells at London 2012.
Giles, 27, was the leading hope in the five-strong all-women team here, with all funded by the National Lottery, who have supported the sport at elite and grassroots level in the last 30 years with £42m funding.
It’s a united team and there are more opportunities to come, including former world number one Lucy Renshall on Tuesday.
Seven years ago, she landed herself in hot water with her parents for writing ‘My dream - Olympic Games’ on the inside of her wardrobe aged, just 14.
Team officials have never doubted her talent, but she didn’t quite get the breaks in the early part of her career, particularly on Olympic debut in Tokyo, where she bombed out in the first round.
“Looking back, I was disappointed,” she admitted. “Being selected for the Olympics is one thing, but you’re not just there to be selected.
“In judo we compete all the time at world events and it’s normal, but the Olympics wasn’t the norm. It all felt brand new. After a period of time, I realised I am now an Olympian and now I can change my goal. I knew I had more.”
Renshall roared back after Tokyo, taking medals in four of the five Grand Slam competitions that followed the Games, even while carrying a shoulder injury that needed surgery two years ago.
“Sometimes in training, it was limiting because I couldn’t do too much with the pain,” she added.
Now it’s all sorted, I can push myself to a higher level and train for longer. I can still definitely raise the bar, while training smart.”
They take their judo seriously in France, where Teddy Riner is a national hero, lighting the flame with Marie-Jose Perec in Friday night’s opening ceremony.
And home hope Clarisse Agbegnenou - the defending champion and five-time world champion - is the one for Renshall to fear and will have a partisan capacity crowd at the Champ-de-Mars Arena behind her.
“I’m not too far off beating her,” said Renshall. “I’m confident that I’ve got a lot better since I last fought her. I think I’ve matured a bit in judo, I know what I want and how to get it.
“Clarisse is an outstanding fighter, but I know if I want to get where I want to get, I’ve got to beat her. I just see her as any other athlete, I’ve got to plan how I would beat her, so hopefully on the day if it comes, we have a plan and can stick to it.”
::With more than £30M a week raised for Good Causes, including vital funding into elite and grassroots sport, National Lottery players support our Olympic and Paralympic athletes to live their dreams and make the nation proud, as well as providing more opportunities for people to take part in sport. To find out more visit: www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk
