Retiring is often the hardest time for an athlete. This weekend, it is the immense Ryo Kiyuna who has just hung up the karate-gi. At 32, the Japanese has decided to turn the page on competitions.

By Florian Fournier / Photo : WKF

The tributes have not stopped since Friday evening on social networks, following the announcement of the 4-times World champion and Olympic champion Ryo Kiyuna to end his career.

Monument of the world kata since 2014, Ryo Kiyuna, it is almost a decade of invincibility. His only defeat came on February 16^th, 2018, in the K1 Dubai final against Spaniard Damian Quintero. Besides this defeat, the Japanese won everything.

Today, it belongs to those athletes who can be classified in the GOAT (Greatest of all time) category.

Marking his era with his technical and physical mastery of the kata, Ryo Kiyuna is today the greatest technician of all time. Is he the greatest sports karateka, kumite and kata combined ? The question may arise.

Be that as it may, he is a giant of this martial art who is bowing out, an inspiration for a generation of karatekas. There will be in the world of kata, as with Mickaël Milon, a before and after Ryo Kiyuna.

His greatest achievement will remain his demonstration at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.