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Amy Livesey eyes podium finish at World Championships

Amy Livesey eyes podium finish at World Championships

AMY Livesey knows what she has to do to make the plane to the Tokyo Olympics – and nothing short of podium finish in next week’s World Championships will do.

Trailing fellow SKK club member Lucy Renshall by 500 points in the -63kg category, Livesey needs to trump that by finishing in the top five in Budapest.

And if she does, it would be another fine achievement for the sporting Livesey family.

The 27-year-old’s sister Bekky is an elite competitor at international level and brother Owen is a former Commonwealth gold medallist.

Although she knows it is going to be tough, she is focused – and speaks of the mutual respect she and Renshall have for each other.

Livesey said: “It is quite unusual to get two players at the same weight from the same home club, SKK, trying to qualify for one spot.

“It looks really good for SKK and they are guaranteed to get one player at the Olympics.

“We just get on with it.

“We respect each other, that is the main thing – obviously if we were going out to fight in a comp it would get awkward, but we would forget about it after it had happened.”

Like all competitors she saw last year more or less wiped out, but she has been building back up nicely for this big stage despite numerous frustrations and difficulties caused by the pandemic.

“I got a bronze in Tashkent but on coming home we had to isolate for 10 days and then straight on the plane to another comp.

“Sometimes it has been a case of isolation, competition, isolation, competition.

“The preparation has not been great on that score – and not what you would want in the run up to an Olympic games but we just have to make the most of what we can do and do our best.

"Normally there would be a big run up to the World Championships but more focus is on the Olympics.

"For me I need to qualify for the Olympics so my focus has to be on the World Championships," she said.

The tournament starts on Sunday, 6 June with the draw made on Saturday.

 
Published on 30/05/2021
Amy Livesey eyes podium finish at World Championships