Emotions, performances, exploits, happiness, sorrows, farewells... They impressed us, they excited us, they enchanted us, our Karate champions.
The tears of Kenji Grillon, the Yoko of Steven Da Costa, the farewells of Sandra Sanchez Jaime, the freshness of Yorgelis Salazar or Babacar Seck, the smile of Lev Horuna, 3 years old, at Matosinhos, the victories of Badawy or Terliuga… We just loved them. Action !
By Ludovic Mauchien / Photos: karatepix / WK
Lev Horuna’s checks
He is 3 years old. Refugee in Hungary with his mother, he had not seen his father, Stanislav Horuna, for 2 months. At the K1 Matosinhos late April, he was the star. One after another, the champions came to give him a check. The champion, it was him !
Steven Da Costa’s Yoko
In fact… We hesitate. Yes, there is this Yoko in the K1 final in Baku. The Olympic champion and double world champion comes out of a 3rd place at the Europeans, his only loss of the year. In Baku, in September, he fought again his winner in the final, the Greek Xenos, and unleashed a Yoko to clinch victory. Yame !
But there is also the Ashi Baraï and the Mawashi Chudan that Steven Da Costa took out in the K1 final of Matosinhos to win when he was losing 4-0. (video)
Sandra San’s Hasta luego
July 8, 2022 will sound like the last coronation and the end of the Sandra Jaime Sanchez era. Olympic champion, double world champion, 7 times European champion, the Spaniard bowed out with a gold medal at the World Games. (see video)
The tears of Kenji Grillon
More than 15 years of high level and a final clap. It was well worth a few tears from the champion (see video). Kenji Grillon, 33, 2012 world and 2013 European champion, bowed out internationally at the Paris Open last January.
The Timmermans Brothers’ finals
Brian fights in -84 kg under the colors of the Netherlands, Rob in +84 kg under the banner of Curaçao. They both qualified for the K1 Matosinhos finals in April. Brian won, Rob lost. (see video)
The art and the way of Youssef Badawy
5 out of 5. He is simply undefeated in 2022. In fact, in his last 9 competitions, the Egyptian has played in 9 finals for 8 gold medals. In 2022, he won the World Games, the K1 of Fujairah, Rabat and Baku as well as the African championship. And the world champion is only 21 years old… (see video)
Anzhelica Terliuga’s will to win
6 finals in 6 tournaments. The Ukrainian Anzhelica Terliuga, from Odessa, fought with a tenfold heart this year, for the reasons we know. The outcome ? Gold medalist at the World Games, European champion, winner of the K1 of Matosinhos and Rabat, finalist in Fujairah and Baku. Hats off ! (see videos Matosinhos Rabat Gaziantep)
The freshness of Yorgelis Salazar
Beyond her extraordinary year with her 6 medals in 6 tournaments, including 3 wins, the bubbly Venezuelan shines with her kindness and her freshness. At the K1 Matosinhos, she beat the legend Serap Ozcelik in the final (6-0). She kept her title in the Panams and won in Baku. She lost in the final of the World Games. (see video)
The taking-off of Babacar Seck
He won his first-ever international tournament in Matosinhos last April. In July, he won the World Games. The Spaniard, renowned for his good nature and sympathy, is only 24 years old… (see video)
Brandon Wilkins’ vista
He’s only 19. He made short work of his opponents at the Europeans, including Olympic champion Luigi Busa. The young Englishman will eventually lose in the final against Eltemur. (see videos : happiness / interview)
Ayumi Uekusa’s Asian Championship title
Many thought her finished, even retired. She took her pilgrim stick, went to train in Azerbaijan with Terliuga and Zaretska in particular. At the outcome, at 30, the Japanese double world champion (2014, 2016) won the K1 in Rabat, the Asian Championships and ranked 3rd in Baku. (see video)
The numerous Ukrainian medals
Training to win at the top level in times of war is impossible. The Ukrainian team has made a point of showing itself under its best auspices since February 24, the day their lives changed.
2 months later, at the K1 Matosinhos where they were invited by the Portuguese Federation, for their first outing since the invasion, Serogina and Terliuga won, Zaretska was a finalist, Zaplitnyi and Melnyk finished 3rd.
And the results followed. 3 medals including a title at the Europeans, 2 World Games titles, wins of Serogina and Zaretska in Baku… (see videos : Anita Serogina et Iryna Zaretska in Matosinhos)
OUR OTHER « COUPS DE CŒUR »
- The magnificent final between Alizee Agier and Iryna Zaretska at the Paris Open punctuated by a 4-3 for the Frenchwoman.
- The European champion crowns of the Eltemur siblings, Erman in -75 kg and his sister Eda in -68 kg.
- The impressive win of Anzhelika Terliuga in the European Championships final against the Bulgarian Ivet Goranova (11-3), in the revenge of the Olympic final.
- The European final between Belgian Luca Costa and Croatian Andjelo Kvesic. 1-4, 7-4, 7-13. The Croatian wins in a crazy fight.
- The attitude and the Karate of the Belgians at the Europeans was great to see. And on the results side, they exploded the forecasts. Besides the ½ final in Team Kumite, Luca Costa finished 2nd in +84 kg and Walid Deghali 3rd in -84 kg. (see videos : happiness / interview)
- The medals at the European championships of Gogita Arkania (3rd in +84 kg, his interview), Luigi Busa (3rd in -75 kg, his interview) and Serap Ozcelik, 1st in -50 kg, her 6th title (her interview). They are all over 35 years old, they have been appearing on the podiums for 15 years !
- The 7th gold medal at the Pan American championships conquered by the Brazilian triple world champion Douglas Brose at 36 years old.
- The gold medal at the World Games of the Algerian Helassa Ayoub Anis (-60 kg). To win it, he beat Douglas Brose and Angelo Crescenzo, just that !
- The World Games final between the Egyptian Abdalla Abdelaziz and the Ukrainian Stanislav Horuna, finally won by the Egyptian 6-3.
- Anita Serogina’s gold medal at the World Games. Often medallist, the Ukrainian World n°1 had not won a major title since the 2013 European championships.
