Spain taekwondoka Brigida Yague has said that she lost her opening bout at the European Games because the surface of the court at the Crystal Hall venue is "slippery".
The 34-year-old won a silver medal in the -49kg event at the London Olympics in 2012, but suffered a 3-2 loss to Erica Nicoli of Italy in Baku earlier today.
Yague told reporters: "I didn't feel very well on the court. The court was slippery. Every time I tried to do something, I slipped. When the court is like that, it is very difficult to compete, especially for small competitors like me that have to move a lot around the court.
"So it was a very bad experience, because when you are not able to move around properly, it simply destroys the match. I kept slipping, every time I tried to attack.
"It happens from time to time that you get to compete on courts like this. It depends on how they make them."
Yague has won six World Championship medals during her career, including three golds.
Sian Cowper
