ST HELENS judoka Lucy Renshall celebrated her recent elevation in the world rankings by successfully defending the Antalya Grand Slam title she won in 2021.
The vicory in Turkey is the 2021 Olympian's fourth Grand Slam success in the past 12 months.
Renshall, who has climbed to number 2 in the IJF world rankings in the -63kg category, entered Antalya as the number one seed.
The 26-year-old Eccleston fighter certainly lived up to that ranking as she comfortably eased her way through the preliminary rounds defeating Mexico's Prisca Awiti-Alcaraz and Katarina Kristo of Croatia to book her place in the quarter-finals.
There she faced recent Paris Grand Slam champion Barbara Timo of Portugal
With less than 60-seconds of the contest fought, Renshall capitalised with some excellent ne-waza to pin her opponent for 20-seconds to secure an ippon score and book her place in the semi-finals.
Tokyo Olympic Games bronze medallist, Canadian Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard, stood between Renshall and a place in the Final.
The contest entered Golden Score where Beauchemin-Pinard was awarded a third shido to hand victory, and a place in the Final to Renshall.
In the Final, Renshall faced Hungary's Szofi Ozbas, who has enjoyed great success at Junior level, being crowned Junior European and Junior World Champion in 2019.
Renshall went a waza-ari score up as the contest reached its halfway point and despite multiple Ozbas attacks late on, Renshall never looked threatened and continued to dominate the grip to secure her fourth Grand Slam title
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