He did it ! Reigning world champion, Frenchman Steven Da Costa became the 1st Olympic champion in history in Tokyo after beating Assadilov in the ½ final (5-2) and then Samdan in the final (5-0).
Thunderbolt in -55 kg where the young Bulgarian Ivet Goranova, Olympic No.27, 3rd at the Worlds in 2018, dominated Anzhelica Terliuga in the final.
The kata resulted in a superb final where the Spanish Sandra Sanchez, already World champion, won the gold at the expense of Japanese Shimizu. A 1st day where Karate was highlighted. That’s all for today. Tomorrow is another day.
By Ludovic Mauchien and Florian Fournier
Photos : Kphotos
They will forever remain the 1st. Sandra Sanchez Jaime (Kata), Steven Da Costa (-67 kg) and Ivet Goranova (-55 kg) became the 1st Olympic champions in the history of Karate today at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. At home, the Japanese collect only one podium in Kata.
-67 kg : STEVEN DA COSTA AS THE BOSS
Final
Steven Da Costa (Fra) vs Eray Samdan (Tur)
½ finals
Steven Da Costa b. Darkhan Assadilov (Kaz), 5-2
Eray Samdan b. Abdel Almasatfa (Jor), 2-0
The Olympic podium
1. Steven Da Costa (Fra)
2. Eray Samdan (Tur)
3. Darkhan Assadilov (Kaz) and Abdel Almasatfa (Jor)
He was expected. He did it ! Steven Da Costa became Olympic champion at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. It’s strong ! Very strong even ! “We did it ! We did it !”, he cried as he got off the mat and rushed into the arms of Olivier Beaudry, his lifelong coach. “Olympic champion, my boy ! You did it ! », replied the latter. Reigning World champion, the Frenchman was the boss in Tokyo and has made history.
Tickled this morning by Jordanian Almatsafa (lost 7-4), Steven Da Costa has transferred for his bouts this afternoon. On the tatami, he imposed himself. He was the boss. In the ½ final against the Olympic No.1 Assadilov, he let loose after falling 2-0 after a Mawashi Chudan from the Kazakh. The French then imposed his Karate. He took the lead on a sweep (3-2) before concluding with a Yoko (5-2).
In the final, he didn’t let the Turkish Samdan, whom he had never faced, and eventually ate him 5-0, with a Mawashi Chudan and an Ippon at the last second with his special, an Ura. Well done the artist !
“I do not realize”, declared Steven Da Costa at the microphone of the French TV. “There has been so much pressure on my shoulders for years. We prepare for years for a day, a minute. There is relief. This morning, it was very hard. I thought to myself : “This is my day. I know what I’m looking for. This afternoon is another competition. I had 2 solid rounds... That’s crazy stuff ! That’s awesome ! I did it !”.
The other ½ final was much closer between Jordan’s -67 Abdel Almatsafa and Turkish -60 Eray Samdan. But the latter, despite his size deficit, was able to block the Ura Mawashi of the Jordanian who had done wonders earlier in the day.
-55 kg : IVET GORANOVA, THE SURPRISE’S CHIEF
Final
Ivet Goranova (Bul) b. Anzhelica Terliuga (Ukr), 4-1
½ finals
Ivet Goranova b. Bettina Plank (Aut), 4-3
Anzhelica Terliuga b. Wen Tzu-Yun (Tpe), 4-4 (5-0 drapeaux)
The Olympic podium
1. Ivet Goranova (Bul)
2. Anzhelica Terliuga (Ukr)
3. Bettina Plank (Aut) and Wen Tzu-Yun (Tpe)
She could cry bitter tears as she left the tatami, throw herself into the arms of her coack, give him a check… All in restraint but a face filled with happiness. It was her day, Ivet Goranova ! Olympic No.27, 3rd at the Worlds in 2018, qualified via her win at the OQT in Paris in mid-June, she swapped everyone in Tokyo, winning with the manner in the preliminary pool (5-4, 5-1, 5 -2), as in the ½ final against Plank (3-0, 4-3) and, above all, in the final against the world No.1, the Ukrainian Anzhelica Terliuga (4-1). The Karate Olympics already have their heroine. She is 21 years old, she is Bulgarian and she is an Olympic champion !
Kata F : Sanchez is the very 1st one
Final
Sandra Sanchez Jaime (Spa) b. Kiyou Shimizu (Jpn), 28.06 vs 27.88
Bronze medals
Grace Lau (HK) b. Dilara Bozan (Tur), 26.94 vs 26.52
Viviana Bottaro (Ita) b. Sakura Kokumaï (USA), 26.48 vs 25.40
The Olympic podium
1. Sanchez Jaime (Spa)
2. Shimizu (Jpn)
3. Lau (HK) et Bottaro (Ita)
It was expected, we got it. The final between Japan’s Kiyou Shimizu and Spain’s Sandra Sanchez kept all its promises. And it was Spain’s Sandra Sanchez who won against Japan’s Kiyou Shimizu in a duel over Chatanyara Kushanku.
She smiled and then the tears started to flow. She then came to kneel in front of the Japanese coach before rushing into her coach husband’s arms and collapsing in tears. Spain’s Sandra Sanchez Jaime, World No.1, Olympic No.1, World champion, became the very 1st Olympic Karate champion in history.
Sanchez, in her characteristic very physical style, with a lot of explosiveness, was able to contain the performance of the Japanese. More voluptuous but adding the physical deficit that she lacked compared to the Spaniard, Shimizu seemed to have found the solution to beat the Spaniard.
Perhaps it was the physical consistency throughout the Kata that Sanchez made the difference in the eyes of the judges. The Spaniard won the best title of her career, a logical reward given her consistency over the years. Shimizu may harbor regrets, she seemed able to beat the Spaniard this time around.
For bronze, 2019 European vice-champion Dilara Bozan of Turkey in a duel over Chatanyara Kushanku too, lost to Hong Kong's Grace Lau, 26.52 to 26.94. Technically, Grace Lau made the difference. More anchored in her kata, it is on this area that she won this medal. Bozan lacked experience in this little final by getting carried away a little.
In the other small final, logic is respected. World No. 3 Italian Viviana Bottaro wins against American Sakura Kokumaï. Both athletes performed Suparinpei. Technically and physically above, Bottaro wins 26.48 against 25.40 for Kokumaï. Note that it was the German Jasmin Juettner who became the first karateka in history to participate in the Olympics.
