Judo: Cox and Oates secure opening-day bronzes

SOPHIE Cox and Colin Oates claimed bronze for Britain on a succesful opening day of the European Judo Championships in Turkey.

Cox, who competed at the Athens Olympics, has just returned to the sport after a five-year absence, walking away from the sport aged just 23 when she moved to Thailand in 2005.

The former British champion and European silver medallist has slowly regained her form after starting competitive action in the lighter under52kgs and progressed through to the medal fights after winning all three of her pool matches.

However, the 28-year-old from Rochdale could not overcome Joana Ramos of Portugal, losing on a golden score in additional time, and so had to pick herself up for the bronze bout, where she defeated Jaana Sundberg of Finland.

Norwich fighter Oates also won through his pool in the under-66kgs, but was beaten by Tarian Karimov of Azerbaijan in the semi-finals, before defeating Frenchman Pierre Duprat for bronze.

There was disappointment for Ashley McKenzie, the 2010 Under-23 European champion, when he went out in the first round of the extra lightweights to Ilgar Mushkiyev of Azerbaijan.

In the women's under-57kg lightweights, 20-year-old Gemma Howell gained more valuable senior competition experience but was unable to get past the first-round, losing to Tanja Bozovic of Montenegro.