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Team GB judo player Craig Fallon just missed out on the bronze medal match on the opening day of the Beijing Olympics.

The 25-year-old was beating Israel's Gal Yekutiel with just over two minutes of his under-60kg repechage final contest remaining.

But the Yekutiel produced two Waza-ari throws in the space of a minute to seal victory and a place in the bronze medal match. Fallon had to settle for seventh.

It was the first time Fallon had lost to the Israeli in the fourth meeting between the pair.

A disappointed Fallon said: "I'm just so disappointed. I put in all I had, but seventh wasn't what I came here for.

"I got well ahead in the fight, but I felt my legs tire, which was a reflection of how I felt all day," he added. "To get countered from such a comfortable position was obviously disappointing.

"It was nothing to do with my training. My preparations went really well and I comfortably made the weight."

Fallon had started the contest well, scoring a Koka just over a minute into the bout and following that up with a Waza-ari just before the two-minute mark. But the Israeli fought back with two quick scores.

Earlier Fallon had opened his Beijing campaign with a victory over Monaco's Yann Siccardi in just over four minutes.

He had already forged a lead through a Yuko score before wrapping the contest up with an Ippon to book a second-round contest against Austria's Ludwig Paischer, the reigning European champion.

But Fallon was unable to overcome Paischer - the Austrian won the contest by two Kokas to Fallon's one.

Paischer progressed to the semi-final by beating Korea's Kim Kyong Jin - giving Fallon a second crack at a medal through the repechage.

Fallon made further progress, beating Younes Ahamdi of Morocco by a Waza-ari and a Koka to Ahamdi's Koka. But victory was won at a cost - seven seconds from the end of the bout Fallon suffered a cut above his left eye that required treatment before he could continue.

He followed that up with another victory over the tough Kim, a bronze medallist at the 2008 Asian Championships. Fallon produced a gritty performance to win with a Waza-ari to put him two wins away from a bronze medal.

But Yekutiel was a formidable opponent - he won bronze at lthe 2007 European Championships and came fifth this year, although even he failed to get a medal this time out.

South Korea's Choi Minho won gold after beating one of Fallon's conquerors - Paischer - in the final.

Bronze medals were awarded to Uzbekistan's Rishod Sobirov and Ruben Houkes of the Netherlands.

Romania's Alina Dumitru won gold in the women's 48kg judo. Cuba's Yanet Bermoy won the silver, while bronze medals were awarded to Ryoko Tani of Japan and Paula Pareto of Argentina.

Watch live coverage of the Olympics 24/7 on your PC via the Eurosport player - click on the link under the picture to subscribe. Or watch the action on British Eurosport - available in the UK on Sky channel 410 and Virgin Media channel 521.

BOA & / Reuters