The WKF confirmed today that it closed the Olympic standing and thereby formalizes the list of 4 qualified by category as well as the Japanese representative. The Olympic Qualification Tournament (OQT) in Paris is postponed June 26-27-28. In the full list of qualified athletes for the Tokyo Olympics, Turkey (5 qualified), Italy and Iran (4) constitute the Olympic podium. Congratulations to everyone !

By Ludovic Mauchien

Photo : Kphotos

The WKF decided today, March 18, of the end of the Olympic standing. Following the cancellation of the Karate1 in Rabat and Madrid, and the European championships due to Covid-19, the executive committee decided to stop the Olympic standing after the Karate1 in Salzburg and to take into account the results of the 2019European championships.

The first 4 athletes in each category (32 athletes) are thus officially qualified (+8 Japanese). The Olympic Qualification Tournament (OQT) in Paris offers 3 other tickets. First scheduled for May 8 to 10, it is postponed to June 26-27-28, probably in Coubertin, and not in Bercy, crowded because of multiple postponements.

So far, 19 countries have qualified at least 1 athlete. Turkey (5 qualified), Italy and Iran (4), Spain, Azerbaijan and Ukraine (2) are the only ones to have several qualified.

-67 KG

1 -DARKHAN ASSADILOV (KAZ)
2 - STEVEN DA COSTA (FRA)
3 - ANGELO CRESCENZO (ITA)
4 - VINICIUS FIGUEIRA (BRA)
— NAOTO SAGO (JPN)

-75 KG

1 - BAHMAN ASGARI (IRN)
2 - LUIGI BUSA (ITA)
3 - RAFAEL AGHAYEV (AZE)
4 - STANISLAV HORUNA (UKR)
— KEN NISHIMURA (JPN)

+75 KG

1 - UGUR AKTAS (TUR)
2 - SAJAD GANJZADEH (IRN)
3 - JONATHAN HORNE (GER)
4 - IVAN KVESIC (CRO)
— RYUTARO ARAGA (JPN)

KATA

1 - DAMIAN QUINTERO (SPA)
2 - ALI SOFUOGLU (TUR)
3 - ANTONIO DIAZ (VEN)
4 - MATTIA BUSATO (ITA)
— RYO KIYUNA (JPN)

-55 KG

1 - SERAP OZCELIK (TUR)
2 - ANZHELIKA TERLIUGA (UKR)
3 - TZU-YUN WEN (TPE)
4 - SARA BAHMANYAR (IRN)
— MIHO MIYAHARA (JPN)

-61 KG

1 - XIAOYAN YIN (CHN)
2 - GIANA LOFTY (EGY)
3 - MERVE COBAN (TUR)
4 - JOVANA PREKOVIC (SRB)
— MAYUMI SOMEYA (JPN)

+61 KG

1 - IRINA ZARETSKA (AZE)
2 - HAMIDEH ABBASALI (IRN)
3 - ELENA QUIRICI (SWI)
4 - MELTEM HOCAOGLU (TUR)
— AYUMI UEKUSA (JPN)

KATA F

1 - SANDRA SANCHEZ JAIME (SPA)
2 - VIVIANA BOTTARO (ITA)
3 - MO SHEUNG GRACE LAU (HK)
4 - SAKURA KOKUMAI (USA)
— KIYOU SHIMIZU (JPN)