Gary Hall, Team GB performance director, said today that the 28-year-old competitor's rehabilitation after an operation on her cruciate ligament was ahead of schedule.

"Sarah is a credit to herself the way she is coping with this injury," Hall said.

"She is going as well as to be expected, if not slightly better.

"She is in a buoyant, confident mood and going in the right direction."

Hall will hope to avoid more serious injuries after Stevenson's unhappy experience during a recent Mexican training camp, but added: "In sport you never know what might come along and you can't legislate for injuries.

"Everyone is conscious of the risks they take in a full combat contact sport.

"You cannot hide from that."


While Stevenson (pictured above in red), a bronze medallist at the Beijing Games, concentrates on qualifying for the Games – where she hopes to be able to dedicate further success to the memory of her parents Diana and Roy, both of whom died last year – her team mates are preparing for the German Open, a crucial staging post towards London.

All of GB Taekwondo's London 2012 hopefuls - other than Stevenson - are included in a 14-strong squad for Hamburg, including 25-year-old newcomer Damon Sansum, the former world kick boxing champion who joined the Manchester-based GB Academy as part of the successful "Fighting Chance" initiative and who is now seeking to secure his Olympic qualification.

Sansum is one of five GB trained players in action at -80kg.

They will be joined by Beijing Olympian Aaron Cook (pictured below in red), fresh from his recent US Open victory.


Hamburg will be the first of three opportunities for Sansum to convince the selectors before the GB team is announced at the end of May.

The Dutch Open and the European Championships in Manchester from May 3 until 6 will offer his second and third chances.

"I am continually learning because I am new to the sport," said Samsun, who is based in Elgin, Scotland.

"But my technique is coming together now and I feel I understand the taekwondo game a lot better.

"It took a while to adjust to some of the kicks I wasn't used to.

"But I have transferred to the actual combat side of the sport better than I thought.

"I have achieved things greater than I imagined," explained the 2011 US Open bronze medallist.

Sansum, who missed last season's German Open through injury, is in action for the first time since the French Open last December.

And he hopes for better good fortune in Hamburg than he received during his second round exit in Paris.

"I narrowly lost to the guy [Mamedy Doucara] who went on to win the gold medal," he explained.

"And I hit him with two clean head shots and didn't get the points.

"I am not a massive believer in making excuses after I have lost, but I definitely felt I won that fight."

Liverpudlian Martin Stamper returns to defend his -68kg title.

His chances of retaining his crown have been boosted by 2011 runner-up, Servet Tazegul's decision to compete in the -74kg division.


Welsh born Jade Jones (pictured above in blue), beaten by Croatia's Ana Zaninovic in last year's final, is on a collision course to clash with China's world champion, Hou Yuzhuo in the -57kg category.

"The team unity and spirit is really strong," said Hall.

"I am expecting some great performances to come from the team because everyone has done a good job.

"The German Open is one of the strongest Open competitions.

"It is a tournament with a depth of quality and quantity.

"It doesn't provide the exact same challenge as the Olympics.

"But it is a challenge and so the team must raise its game."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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