SM
Man Utd vs. PAOK: 2 hrs 26 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

Interview: Ashley McKenzie

:Headline: Interview: Ashley McKenzie: ID:225181: from db_amp
Sports Mole catches up with Team GB's judo hopeful Ashley McKenzie ahead of the European Games in Baku.

Big things are expected of Team GB judo hopeful Ashley McKenzie at this summer's inaugural European Games in Baku.

The 25-year-old former Big Brother contestant won a gold medal for England at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, adding to the bronze medal that he collected at the European Judo Championships the previous year.

However, the Londoner recently suffered a setback when he was knocked out in the first round of The World Masters in Morocco.

With a matter of weeks left until he flies off to Azerbaijan, Sports Mole had a quick chat with McKenzie to see how his preparation for the tournament is going.

What are your expectations heading into Baku?

"I'm hoping to get a medal; that's what everyone will be hoping to do. I've got a European medal already so, for me, it's definitely trying to get gold or get a medal at least. It'll be important building up to Rio and for Team GB, so hopefully I can perform to my best, and if I perform to my best I know that I can medal."

Considering your past success, do you think that there is a bit of a target on your head at tournaments these days?

"Of course. I think it's a big target. If you start winning medals and performing to the best that you can, people are going to start expecting more from me. I think it's just about doing my thing on the day and getting everything right up to Baku and then onto Rio. So, yeah, there's a lot of pressure on me and I'm one of the only people going to Baku that's won a European medal. Pressure can help you sometimes, though, so I can try to use that pressure to my advantage."

What are your plans for before and after Baku?

"On Friday I go to Mongolia for a few days then I've got the Hungary Grand Prix. I'll have another two weeks rest and then I'll go to Baku."

How was your recent experience at the World Masters in Morocco? You were knocked out in the first round, so you must be pretty disappointed...

"I felt I was a bit harshly refereed, but you can only make your own luck. I could have done better. The World Masters is a massive event and I've got another massive event coming up in Baku, so hopefully that experience will help me go back with my coach and realise what I did wrong. You've got to take the positives."

Does the fact that the upcoming European Games are a bit unknown affect your training in any way?

"Nothing's 100% certain so you've just got to adapt to it and do the best that I can. Only when it comes to it will I know if I've trained properly."

amp_article__225181 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2015-05-28 11:14:17:
html db last update - 2015-05-28 11:14:17 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html
Share this article now:
Read more about Ashley McKenzie Judo
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .