Groom, Fraser and Renshall among Team GB stars to taste success

There was success for British athletes on the tatami, high bar and River Thames over the weekend.

It capped a memorable year of top-level racing for the pair with Groom winning quad sculls silver last summer and Elwes bronze as part of the eight at his first Olympics.

Meanwhile, Tokyo Olympian Imogen Grant stroked Cambridge's women to victory in record time.

Cambridge beat Oxford by more than two lengths in an all-time best of 18 minutes and 22 seconds to extend their winning streak to five years.

It was a measure of redemption for Grant who finished fourth, 0.01 seconds of a medal in Tokyo alongside Emily Craig in the lightweight women’s sculls.

There was also success for Joe Fraser in Baku as he claimed gold in the men’s high bar and bronze on the parallel bars at the final FIG World Cup event of the season.

Fraser, who finished fourth with the men's team in Tokyo and ninth in the individual all-around, scored 14.000 for victory on the high bar while a score of 14.7000 was enough for bronze in the parallel bars.

There was victory too for Lucy Renshall as she successfully defended her Antalya Grand Slam Judo title with victory over Szofi Ozbas in the final.

The 26-year-old, who made her Olympic debut in Tokyo, was seeded No.1 for the event and delivered on that billing to claim her fourth Grand Slam title in Turkey.

Renshall went a waza-ari score up as the contest reached the halfway point before fending off multiple late attacks from Ozbas to retain the crown.

She said: “I’m really happy with today, I felt strong and comfortable throughout.

“It’s an added bonus beating someone that has previously beaten me too. This Grand Slam was very tough and going into the event as the No.1 seed was a hugeconfidence boost for me.”

-52kg bronze medallist Chelsie Giles was also in action in Antalya, finishing seventh after defeat to Larissa Pimenta in the quarter final.

Natalie Powell was in action in the -78kg category but bowed out in the second round to Natascha Ausma after picking up a third shido.

Sportsbeat 2022