Lele Nairne demonstrated resilience and determination as she recovered from a semi-final defeat to Acelya Toprak to claim the bronze medal in the women’s -57kg judo at the Commonwealth Games. Battling Ghana’s Fremi Agyei in the bronze medal match, the 28-year-old from Weston-super-Mare earned her first Commonwealth Games medal, having narrowly missed out at the same stage in Birmingham.
Speaking after her victory, Nairne said, “I feel great. I worked really hard for it. For me it was a mental game, I didn’t want to miss out on a medal again. I had to keep my head level today. I lost in the semi-finals and I needed to reset and go again. I’m so happy – this is only my third competition back.”
Nairne had taken a break from the sport following her participation for Team GB at the Paris 2024 Olympics, making her return to the competitive scene marked by this notable achievement.
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In the same category, England’s Acelya Toprak seized gold, fulfilling her ambition to upgrade her Birmingham silver to a Commonwealth gold medal. The 29-year-old judoka triumphed over India’s Yamini Mourya in a gripping final decided by golden score. Toprak’s composure under pressure led to her opponent’s disqualification following a third shido penalty, capping a successful day for England’s judo team, which secured five medals in total.
Reflecting on her victory, Toprak said, “I said I wasn’t leaving with a silver again this year; I wanted the gold. It was a tough fight, and I gave it everything I had. It didn’t finish the way I wanted with an ippon, but a win is a win and I’m happy to have taken the gold. I’m over the moon. Any medal at the Commonwealth Games is amazing, but I wanted the gold so badly. I’m relieved and happy that it’s done. It’s been a long time coming.”
Toprak added, “I’m happy to have finished on a high and finally got the gold. I had to dig in a bit there. She was really physical. We’ve never fought before or even trained together, so I didn’t expect the intensity.”
Together, the performances of Nairne and Toprak highlight the strength and determination present in England’s judo squad at this year’s Commonwealth Games.