Acelya Toprak of England claimed Commonwealth Games gold in a thrilling -57kg judo final against India's Yamini Mourya. The match stretched almost seven minutes and ended with golden score, as Mourya received a third shido penalty. The intense battle left both competitors drained and exhausted, but Toprak held her composure to secure victory.
This marked a step up from her 2022 silver, as Toprak delivered a more composed performance in Glasgow. She admitted to BBC Sport that her previous final had a similar pattern, where a misstep led to her downfall. 'It was two shidos each, with four-and-a-half minutes of extra time. I over-stretched and got caught,' she recalled. 'I’m glad I avoided that this time—it’s painful, really, to keep getting back up. All you can think is get up and go again. But in the end, I even enjoyed the golden score in the final.'
Toprak's gold was part of a successful day for England's judo team. Lele Nairne, who faced Toprak in the semi-final, earned bronze after a swift ippon throw that sent Frema Agyei of Ghana to the mat in just 28 seconds. Nairne, 28, expressed her joy at the win. 'I love making those kinds of throws,' she said. 'It's bittersweet. I lost in Birmingham 2022, so it meant a lot to redeem myself. I aimed for gold, but just a medal feels incredible.'
Nairne's training partner, Tatum Keen, added another bronze for England in the women's -52kg division. Meanwhile, the men's judo events also brought success as Charlie Ayre, 20, and Michael Fryer, 26, captured bronze in the -60kg and -66kg classes. Every one of England's five judo competitors in medal contention secured a podium finish, making it a memorable night for the team.