Judo broke Natalie Powell’s heart – but she is back for more

The Powys ace will compete in her eighth world championships when she goes for gold in the 78kgs category in Doha on Friday.

But Powell, the former world No.1 who won bronze in 2017, admits she gave serious thought to walking away from the sport for good after crashing out of the Toyko Olympics at the first round stage.

“I definitely considered it, for at least a year after Tokyo, maybe a little longer if I am honest,” said Powell.

“My heart was broken after Toyko. It is so hard. You go in waves. Even going into the Commonwealth Games was tough.

“There have been coaching changes, location changes. But I feel I have got myself together again now and am ready to go again.”

Ultimately, Powell’s decision to continue was down to the fact, aged 32, she believes her judo to be as good as it’s ever been.

Her experience in Tokyo was a reminder of the ruthless nature of a sport in which competitions are packed into one day and where dreams can be killed by just one mistake.

Powell’s focus is now firmly on what comes next with the Paris Olympics just 15 months away. A good performance in Qatar, where GB team-mate Emma Reid will also compete in the same weight category, would lay solid foundations early in the qualifying process.

“I feel like that Olympic medal is in me,” says Powell. “It has all got to come together on the day but I think I would kick myself if I didn’t have one more shot at it, when my judo is as good as it has ever been.

“I have medalled in every other major championship other than the Olympics. That is the one missing from my collection.

“I would love to be world champion as well. To get a world medal is amazing, so that is an ambition too. But the main aim is to go to Paris and get a medal.”

Powell made her world championship bow 10 years ago and smiles when her longevity in the sport is mentioned.

“It makes me feel very old, though I feel it anyway without knowing that!” she says.

“I have always been really focused on keeping my body healthy and doing a lot of recovery, though I am noticing the recovery times are getting longer than 10 years ago!

“Every cycle has been different, the way I have approached it. Now I am making sure I stay mentally fresh and staying in a good place.”

Walking has increasingly become part of Powell’s escapism, though a recent trip to the Brecon Beacons, she explains, nearly ended in disaster.

“We walked up Pen y Fan, which had always been on the to-do list,” she says. “Nearly died though. The wind was that strong I thought we were going to be blown off the mountain!

“Since lockdown I have enjoyed getting out in nature more. As I got older, I maybe appreciate it more.

“That’s what I need now. I had always been very much all-in, particularly in the run up to Tokyo. Now it is more about having a balance, spending time with friends and family, trying to get a bit of space.

“Earlier in my career I would not have got to the level I did without being all-in.

“But after not medalling in Tokyo, losing the first fight after all I had put into it, I can’t do that again for another three years to potentially not medal again. If I get a world medal, it puts me in a great position.”

Strong as her form might be, Powell knows she can’t go on forever. She knows Paris will likely be the end – though she won’t say for certain - and has begun to put plans in place for the next chapter of her life. For the moment, however, there remains one goal.

“I feel like I am where I need to be,” she says. “When you are younger, 21 or 22, you are still developing. Your judo is not there but you have the hunger, you can scrap. I used to win fights in one moment.

“Now I feel like I dominate fights for long periods and if I lose it is because I messed up in that one moment. The balance has switched.

“I feel I have the experience. I just have to translate it into a medal.”