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Casey Belsey missed out on gold at the British Junior Judo Championships with just seconds left of his final match.
Belsey, pictured, was tied with his main rival Lucas Rowe in the junior men’s under-60kg category but with 10 seconds left during the Golden Score extra-time his opponent lunged in with a throw to win.
Rowe now joins Belsey at the top of the junior rankings and Belsey admitted the defeat was hard to take.
"I was the most gutted I have ever been in my life," said the youngster from Halfway who turns 18 on Saturday.
"I beat him in the last final and we were the two main contenders. There was hardly anything between us and after the initial five minutes we were level.
"It was then a case of any score wins or it would be decided by the referee. We both had to go for it. I had to go forward but when I did I left myself open and he threw me.
"I’m pleased I got that far and gave a good performance. I gave my all and that’s all I could do."
Belsey will be competing in the senior class next year and he is also stepping up in weight to under-66kg but he has one final outing before the season ends. He will be representing Britain at the Valencia Open in Spain at the end of the month.