Brilliant bronze for Colin Oates at Jeju Judo Grand Prix in South Korea
Norfolk judo star Colin Oates, pictured receiving the Male Sports Personality of the Year award at the Norfolk Sports Awards at the Forum in Norwich last month. Picture by SIMON FINLAY. - Credit: Archant Norfolk
Norfolk's Colin Oates took a brilliant bronze medal at the Jeju Judo Grand Prix in South Korea, setting himself firmly on the road to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The Commonwealth Games champion at under-66kg gained 120 world ranking points and every point this year counts as half towards qualification.
The 31-year-old judoka, from North Lopham, opened Great Britain's medal account, beating Baku Grand Slam bronze medallist Golan Pollack of Israel for the Jeju bronze by taking the lead with a yuko and adding a waza-ari by a hold down.
His journey to the podium involved successive ippon victories against Bogdan Iadov of Ukraine and Kenneth Van Gansbeke of Belgium to book a place in the semi-finals against Baul An of South Korea which he lost by waza-ari.
