He is 17 and has just won the gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games. Paris 2024 was the goal of his career. After the news of Paris Olympics without Karate, the young Belgian Quentin Mahauden is inconsolable. As Iran’s World champion, Amir Mehdizadeh, or Turkey’s 2-times European champion, Burak Uygur. Reactions also from Rafael Aghayev.
By Ludovic Mauchien / Photo: K-photos
Quentin Mahauden (Belgium), 17 years old, gold medalist at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games (YOG)
« I am very disappointed, especially since we did not imagine it at all ! No one expected them to announce now that Karate would not be at the Olympics in Paris.
2024 was the main goal of my career. Everything has collapsed ! This is a big disappointment. I will continue to make karate my main activity. There are still the World championships, the European championships, the European Games, the World Games. I will continue to work for them.
But, the Olympics... It's different from all other karate competitions. I lived the Youth Olympic Games. All sports are together. It's really special. To tell me that I will never be able to live again an atmosphere like this, it hurts.
Because I am too young for 2020. I am not yet in the ranking. I have not done any Senior competitions yet. It will be impossible. They take away my opportunity to play the Olympics one day ».
Amir Mehdizadeh (Iran), 29 years old, 2014 World champion
« Actually I am shocked, because karate is a complete sport and so many countries practice karate. I think Olympic Games will miss karate, it’s not karate that will miss the Games ! »
Burak Uygur (Turkey), 23 years old, two-times European champion
« I'm shocked. This is a big surprise for me, because I thought that « France is a country of karate. The French really like this sport and they have success in karate. Karate will definitely be in Paris in 2024 ». But I see now that I'm wrong, it's a bad news for all the karate world and the karate lovers ».
Rafael Aghayev (Azerbaijan), 33 years old, 5-times World champion
« Right now, I only concentrate about Tokyo 2020. Because I really want to win the Olympic Games ».
