TWO West Fife judo teenagers on international duty with Scotland returned home with hard-won medals at the Matsumae Cup in Denmark.

Fiona Todman and Ryan Turnbull were included in the Judo Scotland cadet (under-18) squad for the event, held in Vejle, and the talented duo made the podium in their respective categories in the first major tournament of the year, enhancing their international reputations and continuing their excellent recent form.

UK Schools Games finalist Turnbull reached the final of the boys’ under-73 kg class, winning his pool with ippon victories over two Swedish players after his traditional slow start.

His best performance came in the semi-final against Norway’s Jon Håkon Himle, with the St Columba’s High School pupil following up a wazari throw with an armlock submission for his third successive ippon win.

The Dunfermline 16-year-old also dominated the final against another Swede, Isac Larsson of National Judo Klub, and was unlucky not to have scored with his attacking techniques, before losing the contest in “golden score”.

His Destination JC team-mate, Todman, also made the podium – despite losing her first contest – thanks to a yuko victory over Dane Karoline Hansen and an impressive ippon win over Sweden’s Sofie Hannson, with the Queen Anne High School pupil first equalising an early wazari before winning the contest with her impressive newaza skills.

Although beaten by the eventual gold medal winner, Marit de Winter from the Netherlands, Todman can be proud of her bronze medal in the under-52kg category, having had to compete in this class because of low entry numbers in her own 48kg group.

Both fighters will hope that the national selectors will have been impressed by their performances both in the tournament itself and in the subsequent training camp, with other major international tournaments looming in the Spring.