Bronze for Stevenson after quarter-final drama
Saturday, 23 Aug 2008 21:13
The crowd were shocked by Zhong's taekwondo exit
Team GB's taekwondo hope Sarah Stevenson has won the bronze medal, after benefiting from the Olympic sport's first ever successful appeal.
Stevenson had found herself controversially declared the loser of her quarter-final match against Chinese favourite Zhong Chen.
She was devastated by the announcement, as judges had failed to notice a two-point kick to Zhong's head which should have handed her a last-gasp win.
Half an hour later Stevenson was reinstated in the semi-final bout against Mexico's Maria del Rosario Espinoza, which she lost 4-1.
"My mind wasn't ready, my body wasn't ready," she told the BBC after her defeat to Espinoza.
"I'd beaten that girl before twice and my body just wasn't ready."
The repechage match for bronze proved different, however. Stevenson opened up a two-point advantage in the opening round against Noha Abd Rabo of Egypt. She won the match 5-1.