Natalie Powell boosted her hopes of competing in Rio this summer after seeing off Olympic Games selection rival Gemma Gibbons in France.

The Merthyr Tydfil fighter beat 2012 silver medallist Gibbons in their head-to-head to take bronze at the Paris Grand Slam.

Victory gave Powell a rankings boost over the -78kg rival she beat to win Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow two years ago in the battle for the sole Team GB spot for Brazil.

Powell, 25, said: “This means everything.

“I thought I was never going to get a Grand Slam medal so to do it at Paris is the icing on the cake.

“It was a really important match to win. Myself and Gemma haven’t fought each other since the Commonwealth Games final and a lot has changed since then.

“I had a knee injury at the end of last year but that made me come back more hungry and I feel like I’m getting better and better.”

Powell competed in the bronze medal match repechage after losing world No 1 Kayla Harrison of the United States in the quarter finals.

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