With the Guernsey support cheering in the background, Roberto Mascherucci ignores his broken toe to celebrate after winning the bronze medal. (Picture by Steve Sarre, 0797296)

ROBERTO MASCHERUCCI had to make do with bronze after a broken toe robbed him of ‘his gold medal’.

The 38-year-old locally-based Italian, who once competed in the European judo championships for the country of his birth, was the reigning 73kg champion.

He was considered to be one of Guernsey’s best chances of winning gold this week and he had said before coming to Aland that the gold medal had his name on it.

But this was not to be as, just 30 seconds into his first fight with Magnus Hognas of Aland at the Idrottsgarden dojo yesterday, he broke the big toe on his left foot.

He went on to win this bout, but it was to be his downfall in his second with Gibraltar’s Liam Conroy as he just could not get a stable base.

However it was not all doom and gloom as Mascherucci, in front of a large Guernsey support cheering every move he made, won the bronze.

‘I’m disappointed that I didn’t get the gold but I’m so happy to get the bronze,’ he said afterwards.  ‘It was more emotional. He was very good.’

Clearly in agony with his injury, Mascherucci had hobbled on to the mat for his bronze medal bout with Georgias Papageorgiou.