Kearney eyes Euro medal to cement London spot

Lisa Kearney is planning to rubber-stamp her place at the Olympics by claiming a medal at the European Judo Championships, which gets underway in Chelyabinsk, Russia next week.

The Belfast woman holds such a lofty goal despite the fact she has only been back on the mat a week after damaging knee ligaments last January. Far from being negative about the lay-off, Kearney reckons it could be a blessing in disguise, particularly if she makes it to London.

And there’s a very strong likelihood that she will, despite missing out on four qualifiers during her enforced absence from competition.