Already on the roof of Europe, Steven Da Costa won his 3^rd title in a row, as Irina Zaretska. A great accomplishment !

Another highlight of the day, Youssef Badawi won his 2^nd title in a row and Ali Sofuoglu beat Quintero who will never be world champion.

By Florian Fournier / Photo : D.R

Kata M

Final :  Sofuoglu (Tur) b. Quintero (Spa), 45.6 - 44.5

He had already done it in the final of the last European Championships. Ali Sofuoglu did it again and beat Damian Quintero to become the first Turkish individual Kata world champion. By this great feat, Sofuoglu deprives Quintero of his absolute dream, to become world champion. In Kiyuna's shadow for 10 years, Damian Quintero had the opportunity to win gold to obtain the biggest title of his career, but it will not come to him.

In this very high level final, the two karatekas delivered a flawless performance. A true champion duel.

-60kg

Final : Xenos (Gre) b. Alpysbay (Kaz), 7-1

Bronze :  Crescenzo (Ita) b. Imrich (Svk), 4-1 / Samdan (Tur) b. Aboukora (Egy), 7-1

Taking the score to his advantage, Xenos then managed his fight to score on the counter. Executing this strategy wonderfully, he won without trembling 7-1 and became world champion for the first time.

-67kg

Finale : Steven Da Costa (Fra) b. Dulovic (Mne), 5-3

Bronze : Amirali (Kaz) b. Gaith (Jor), 5-1 / Alkhatami (Ksa) b. Oezdemir (Ger), 3-0

It’s the hat trick! He’s a legend ! It’s exceptional ! Steven Da Costa at the end of a tough, tight and difficult fight, won a third consecutive title.

Opposed to a Montenegrin that have no pressure and threw body and soul into this fight, Steven scared himself until the end. As in the -75kg category, the suspense lasted until the end and a video check to validate 3 points for the Montenegrin had to be used. But ultimately, the technique was out of time and especially out of distance.

With three world champion titles, three European champion titles and one Olympic title, Steven Da Costa is a legend of his discipline and of French sport.

-75kg

Final :  Abdelaziz (Egy) b. Harspataki (Hun), 3-2
Bronze : Sharafutdinov (Ain) b. Turulja (Bih), 2-0 / Zaplitnyi (Ukr) b. Scott (Usa), 5-5

There are moments that mark your career whether you are victorious or loser. This -75kg final will be for Harspataki and Abdelaziz. In a fight full of suspense from start to finish, hostilities had difficulty getting started. Finding himself at 3-1 for the Egyptian, the Hungarian in a boiling room won over to his cause and came back to 3-2. With 1 second remaining to fight, the last one inflicts a sweep on the world number 1 and sees 2 judges award him the points. However, after a few minutes of unbearable suspense, the technique was out of time, the referee's Yame having been pronounced a few seconds before. So it’s Abdelalziz who lets his joy burst forth !

-84kg

Final : Badawy (Egy) b. Khodabakhshi (Ira), 9-2

Bronze : Chobotar (Ukr) b. Gasparian (Ain), 1-0

He was on his way to achieve the double, Youssef Badawy is now a double world champion. Very pragmatic and surgical, the Egyptian leads 2-0 before seeing the Iranian go back to 2-2. Good in tempo, he was then able to master his opponent perfectly, inflicting an acrobatic mawashi geri jodan to break away. With this success, he achieved the feat of retaining his crown.

+84kg

Final : Filali (Fra) b. Mahmoud (Egy), 3-1

Bronze : Tesanovic (Srb) b. Felipin (Bra), 7-6 / Ganjzadeh (Ira) b. Kvesic (Cro), 1-0

Reigning European champion, Mehdi Filali achieves the incredible Europe/World double. By winning 3-1, the Frenchman became world champion for the first time in his young career. Having a high-ranking year in 2023 where he was able to show and exploit all his talent, Mehdi Filali concluded it in the most beautiful way.

Kata Female

Final : Ono (Jap) b. Lau (Hkg) 44.8 - 43.8

After two editions without a victory, Japan brings home the world title. At 31, Ono established himself and achieved his first success. She follows in the lineage of many Japanese world champions in kata.

-50kg

Final: Zhangbyrbay (Kaz) b. Perfetto (Ita), 6-5

Bronze : Salama (Egy) b. Li (Chn), 7-1 / Salazar (Ven) b. Okazaki (Jap), 8-3

In a dynamic final where the protagonists went blow for blow, it was the Kazakh Zhangbyrbay who won and became world champion.

-55kg

Final : Yakan (Tur) b. Goranova (Bul), 8-1

Bronze : Perez (Ven) b. Rakhimova (Uzb), 1-0 / Terliuga (Ukr) b. Saadati (Ira), forfait

In the final, which she dominated from start to finish, Yakan Tuba won against Goranova. The Olympic champion, who reached the final after an imbroglio during her semi-final against Terliuga, did not win the world title.

-61kg

Final : Final : Gong (Chn) b. Yenen (Tur), 6-1

Bronze : Sivert (Fra) b. Hoang (Vie), 0-0 / Aly (Egy) b. Mahjoub (Tun), 6-2

An Ura, a mawashi and a gyaku were enough for the Chinese Li Gong to win. Choking her opponent, the Chinese left her no chance to win. His dynamic and sharp karate isrewarded. At 24, future belongs to her.

-68kg

Final : Zaretska (Aze) - Quirici (Swi), 5-4

Bronze : Agier (Fra) b. Nieto (Spa), 5-0 / Zefanyia (Ind) b. Schroeter (Ger), 4-0

She was aiming for the hat-trick! She did it ! Irina Zaretska is the -68kg world champion for the third time in a row. In a close fight against Elena Quirici, the Azerbaijani took the lead before seeing the Swiss coming back on her. However, at 4-4 in the money time, Zaretska made one last attack which hit ! Having the psychological ascendancy over her opponent considering the record of their confrontations, it is surely this dimension which tipped the scales.

+68kg  

Final :  Ayaka Saito (Jap) b. Maria Torres Garcia (Spa), 6-0

Bronze : Ferracuti (Ita) b. Berultseva (Kaz), 4-4 / Okila Menna (Egy) b. Jemi (Tun), 8-0

For the first time in her career, Ayaka Saito becomes world champion without trembling. Offensive and not letting the reigning world champion Maria Torres Garcia build her karate, the Japanese mastered her business from start to finish.