GOLD MEDAL FOR LEON
Leon Rattigan competed in the 96kg category at the 39th Henri Deglane Tournament, Nice, France.
Leon won gold. Said Shaun Morley, England Team Leader, “Leon’s gold medal in Nice was a fantastic result against world class opposition.”
Shaun went on to say “In overcoming the current World Junior Champion at 96kg on his way to the gold medal marked a real milestone in Leon’s preparation for next summer’s Commonwealth Games and clearly demonstrates that Leon is not just a medal prospect but a genuine gold medal prospect for the Games.”
Like every year, many prestigious foreign teams (Russia, USA, Canada, Iran, Georgia, Tajikistan, Sweden etc.) were present at the first major international event of the season.
In his first match Leon beat USA’s Kyle Synder 3-3. Kyle is the reigning Junior World Champion at 96kg from August 2013. Kyle is also an Olympic Training Center resident for Team USA.
Leon won his quarter-final match v Canada, 8-0
Leon won his semi-final match v Georgia, 3-1
Leon’s final was against Vlad Caras of Romania, the Bronze Medallist from the European Junior Championships 2013. Leon won 4-0.
Leon thanked Sport England, Commonwealth England and the National Lottery for supporting his training and enabling him to compete in the Henri Deglane Tournament.
