World champions Ryo Kiyuna and Kiyou Shimizu led the way for Japanese domination in the first day of Karate action at the Karate 1-Series A being held in Okinawa (Japan). The representatives of the host country demonstrated the superiority of Japanese karatekas in Kata categories and took six of the eight medals at stake in the category of traditional choreographed movements. 

World champions Ryo Kiyuna and Kiyou Shimizu led the way for the Japanese domination in the first day of Karate action at the Karate 1-Series A being held in Okinawa (Japan). The representatives of the host country demonstrated their superiority in Kata competition and took six of the eight medals at stake in the category of traditional choreographed movements. 

Ryo Kiyuna put a golden finishing touch to an impressive season, and in the last major event of the year, the defending World champion claimed his seventh gold medal in seven international appearances this year. Competing at home, the Okinawa native confirmed his status of Kata king and extended his winning streak of over four years and the two-time World title-holder defeated Turkey’s Emre Vefa Goktas in the final. The Turkish promising karateka, who won silver less than a month ago at the U21 World Championships surprised and made it to his first final in senior competition. Emre Vefa Goktas and Grand Winner Sandra Sanchez of Spain were the only two non-Japanese medallists on the first day of competition in Okinawa.

Coming back from a shocking defeat in Karate 1-Series A in Salzburg in October, World champion Kiyou Shimizu came back to her winning ways and claimed gold in Female Kata. The two-time World title-holder demonstrated resilience and overcame her first defeat over six years of international competitions happening in the Austrian city by retaking her place at the top of the podium. The fan favourite beat fellow Japanese Hikaru Ono by unanimous decision so to win her fourth gold in five appearances this year.

GRAND WINNERS TAKE THE LEAD

The rest of the categories will be decided on Sunday. In Female Kumite -50kg, Chinese Taipei’s Shiau-Shang Gu and Iran’s Sara Bahmanyar Estalkhbejari showcased the impressive predominance of the new generations and qualified to their first final bout in major senior competitions.

Meanwhile, in Female Kumite -55kg Grand Winner Anzhelika Terliuga of Ukraine added one more honour to her remarkable campaign, and will fight for her third gold this year. Japan’s Shori Nakamura will try to increase the count of medals for the host country on the other side of the tatami. The other Japanese finalist after the first day of action in Okinawa is Hiroto Shinohara in Male Kumite -67kg. The representative of the organising country will meet Saudi Arabia’s Ali Barnawi in the last bout of the category.

Former Grand Winners also shined in Female Kumite -61kg as 2016 Grand Winner Ingrida Suchankova of Slovakia qualified for the last bout. Serbia’s Jovana Prekovic will be her rival in the title-deciding clash. In Male Kumite -60kg, World champion Amir Mehdizadeh of Iran will fight for the top of the podium facing first-timer Edemilson Dos Santos of Brazil.

The Karate 1-Series A is the last major tournament of the year in international Karate. Nearly 800 competitors from 67 countries are participating in the birthplace of the sport.

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