Stevenson settles for bronze

Sarah Stevenson was forced to settle for an Olympic bronze medal after a day of unprecedented drama inside Beijing's University of Science and Technology Gymnasium.

The 25-year-old was reinstated into the competition after taekwondo officials upheld a protest against the "blatant robbery" of her +67kg quarter-final defeat to world number one Zhong Chen.

It was the first time a result had been overturned since taekwondo became an official Olympic sport in 1990.

But the turbulent appeal process ultimately cost Stevenson the chance of a gold medal shot as she was pressed into semi-final action with just 10 minutes preparation.

Unsurprisingly, and amid a storm of boos from an angry local crowd, Stevenson was comfortably beaten 4-1 by the more focused Mexican Maria Espinoza.

Stevenson responded valiantly to seal bronze - Britain's first ever taekwondo Olympic medal - with an emphatic 5-1 victory over Egypt's Nowa Abd Rabo.

But afterwards neither Stevenson nor Great Britain performance director Gary Hall could escape the feeling of 'what might have been?'

Stevenson said: "It means a lot to go through all that and actually come away with something.

"I have been to three Olympics and come away with one medal.

"It is not a gold or silver, which I was definitely good enough to win. It did affect me in the semi-final. It was too much for me. I didn't have a lot of time. After the day I have had I am grateful I got the bronze."