STAMPER FINGERS CROSSED FOR OLYMPIC DEBUT
Martin Stamper remains optimistic of Olympic selection after collecting one of two British bronze medals on the final day of the European Championships in Manchester.
Liverpudlian Stamper and the rest of the GB London 2012 hopefuls will learn their fate in the coming weeks.
And he now hopes his -68kg bronze will clinch a first Olympic call-up this summer.
Michael Harvey's golden success at -63kg 24 hours earlier put extra pressure on Stamper who eventually went out 9-6 to Croatia's Filip Grgic.
"I thought it was going to be the easiest of the three fights," admitted Britain's taekwondo athlete of 2011.
"But he played a good fight. He tied me up when I tried my combinations.
"I don't like making excuses but the first head shot got nowhere near me.
"So from 1-1 to 4-1, I was up against it. I was a bit unlucky but the important thing was I got a medal after what Michael did.
"Last night, when Michael was fighting, I was so nervous
"I was trying to control it but it was out of my hands.
"It's upto the selectors now. Hopefully, I have done enough.
"If I had got to the final I think selection would have been nailed on. But I am still confident.
"The Serbian I beat has already qualified for the Olympics and the win over the Russian (Konstantin Minin) was one of the best three of my career.
"I am going to be nervous but hopefully it will be my name getting selected."
Scorpions star Caroline Fisher rounded off a great championships for the host nation with bronze at -53kg.
"I am happy to get a medal but it's disappointing not getting through to the final," said the 29-year-old Yorkshire girl.
"You want to go out there and get gold for Great Britain."
Fisher lost 18-6 at the penultimate stage to eventual silver medallist, Ana Zaninovic.
The final two members of Britain's squad finished the day empty handed. Bianca Walkden, looking to emulate boyfriend Aaron Cook after his European triumph on Saturday night, went down in the quarter-finals to Croatia's Petra Matijasevic.
Ruebyn Richards enjoyed an encouraging 8-0 first round win over Georgian Giorgi Araabuli before losing his next fight 11-10 against Ilkin Shahbazov of Azerbaijan.
Britain finished second in the overall medal table behind France but won the best male team award collected by GB Performance Director Gary Hall.
RESULTS
Men:
-68 kg
Round One: Martin Stamper bye
Round two: bt Damir Fejzic (Serbia) 6-5
Quarter-final: bt Konstantin Minin (Russia) 16-14
Semi-final: lost 9-6 to Filip Grgic (Croatia) 9-6
-74kg:
Round One: Ruebyn Richards bt Giorgi Araabuli (Georgia) 8-0
Round two: lost 11-10 to Ilkin Shahbazov (Azerbaijan) 11-10
Women:
-53kg:
Round One: Caroline Fisher bye
Round Two: bt Yulia Chykolba (Ukraine) 5-1
Quarter-final: bt Rebecca Torrado (Spain) 8-1
Semi-final: lost 18-6 to Ana Zaninovic (Croatia) 18-6
-67kg:
Round One: Bianca Walkden bye
Round two: bt Katarzyna Wieczorek (Poland) 12-11
Quarter-final: lost 22-16 to Petra Matijasevic (Croatia)
Other results:--
-53kg final: Hatice Yangin (Turkey) bt Ana Zaninovic (Croatia) 8-7
-67kg final: Nur Tatar (Turkey) bt Haby Niare (France) 11-5
-68kg final: Servet Tazegul (Turkey) w/o Filip Grgic (Croatia)
-74 kg final: Aliaskhab Sirazhov (Russia) bt Ridvan Baygut (Turkey) 6-5.
