Bianca Walkden admitted to a bittersweet bronze after claiming Team GB’s third taekwondo medal of Rio 2016 after victory in the women’s +67kg bronze medal contest.
A head kick in the second and third round were enough for Walkden beat Morocco’s Wiam Dislam 7-1 and follow in the footsteps of teammates Jade Jones and Lutalo Muhammad in winning an Olympic medal in Rio.
The 24-year-old missed out on a chance to fight for gold earlier in the evening following a golden point defeat to number two seed Shuyin Zheng of China and the 2015 world champion needed a word from coach Paul Green to help her over the line.
“I came here for gold,” said Walkden. “I didn’t really want to go out again to fight but my coach said to me you have to go out there and fight for it.
“It’s still an Olympic medal and I’ve done well to get here. In Tokyo I’ll be trying to go a little but further and try to get gold. It’s only four years away.
“This is the best Games we’ve ever had and to come away with gold, silver and a bronze is really good. We’re improving all the time.
However Team GB’s fourth and final taekwondo player Mahama Cho couldn’t complete the set as he was edged into fourth after a 5-4 defeat in his +80kg bronze medal fight to Brazil’s Maicon Siqueira.
“I gave it my absolute everything today but it’s just disappointing not to come away with something from all the hard work me and my team have done together. One of us had to lost and unfortunately that was me”