CHELSIE Giles capped a sensational 2022 season by taking silver at the IJF Masters on the opening day of competition in Jerusalem, Israel.
Giles became European Champion and won World Championship silver earlier in the year to add to the Olympic bronze medal she won at Tokyo 2020.
Competing in the -52kg category, following an opening round bye, Giles defeated Katelyn Jarrell (United States of America) in Round 2.
Giles countered a Jarrell attack for waza-ari score before transitioning into newaza to pin her opponent for ippon.
And Giles faced a familiar opponent in the quarter-final as the contest was a repeat of the European Final as she faced Amandine Buchard (France).
Giles progressed to the semi-final after Buchard was disqualified via a handsoku-make for attacking against a straight arm.
In the semi-final, Giles faced fellow Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist, Odette Giuffrida (Italy) for a place in the final.
With nothing between the pair, the contest entered Golden Score where Giles forced Giuffrida to the ground and deployed her trademark newaza to register a waza-ari score to progress to the final.
Giles faced off against -48kg Tokyo Olympic Champion, Distria Krasniqi (Kosovo), in the final who has seamlessly stepped up to the -52kg category.
The final started at a blistering pace, with both fighters trying to get the upper hand, as Giles was caught in the opening 30 seconds for a waza-ari score – a score that remained the only difference between the two judoka as the four minutes elapsed.
The result saw Giles claim silver, her first medal at the World Masters and a fantastic way to round off what has been a fantastic year for the Coventry Judo Club judoka.
