NATALIE Powell ended seventh in the weekend European Judo Championships in Bulgaria.

Following an opening round bye, the Builth Wells star defeated recent Tel Aviv Grand Slam champion Beata Pacut after registering a waza-ari score in the opening exchange as the contest entered Golden Score.

A quarter-final defeat to European U23 champion Alina Boehm by a single waza-ari score saw Powell progress to the Repechage to face Olympic silver medallist, Madeleine Malonga for a place in the bronze medal contest.

There was nothing between the two fighters as they traded shidos.

With the scorecard even at two shidos each, the contest entered the final 60 seconds where Powell registered a waza-ari score.

In the next exchange Powell was further penalised for stepping out the contest area and was awarded a third shido which meant she ended the tournament in a respectable seventh place.

Powell said: “I have been building my training since January and I came here, knowing it wasn’t the main goal for the year, but confident that I could challenge for a medal.

“I did feel off the pace, I got a great result in the opening round, but I felt my rhythm wasn’t quite there.”

However Powell improved as the day progressed

She said: “Against Malonga I found my fight again and I was disappointed not to win. I was so invested in that fight that I thought I had won it with that score.

“I’m so embarrassed as I thought we were in Golden Score.

“The following exchange I just couldn’t quite get my hand on and that cost me a place in the bronze medal contest, but it has shown me that I still belong on this stage and I can’t wait to get back out there again.”