At the European championship in Serbia, Rafael Aghayev will try to win another title on Saturday, his 11^th one. On the bridge for the qualifications on Thursday, the superstar of world karate has been perfect. Like him, the others stars of the discipline will be in the final on Sunday. Quintero, Sanchez Jaime, Terliuga, Florentin, Ignace, Ozcelik…

By Fournier Florian

+84kg: Horne out in 1st round

Favorite for the European title, Jonathan Horne lost in the first round 5-3 against Klepic. The Bosnian fighter will fight against Atamov (Aze) for the title.

Final: Klepic (Bos) vs Atamov (Aze)

Bronze: Horne (Ger) vs Arkania (Geo)
Lardy (Ned) vs Seck Sakho (Esp)

-84kg: Not this year for Grillon

He came to win another European title, the French karateka Kenji Grillon lost in ¼ final (1-0) against Hernandez (Por). It’s the young Martina (Ita) and Croatia’s Kvesic who will fight in final.

Final : Martina (Ita) vs Kvesic (Cro)

Bronze: Hernandez (Por) vs Mamayev (Aze)
Aktas (Tur) vs Chobotar (Ukr)

-75kg: Rafael Aghayev for a 11th title

The king of the discipline is indeed present. Rafael Aghayev who had a difficult time with the presence of Turk Eltemur in the quarterfinals (defeated 1-0) and Italy's Busa in the semifinals (victory in senshu, 1-1), Rafael Aghayev will be into final to try to win an 11th European title. The last step before the consecration, Hungaria’s Harspataki who has defeated Ukrainia’s Stanislav Horuna, will try to sell his skin dearly.

Final : Aghayev (Aze) vs Harspataki (Hun)

Bronze: Busa (Ita) vs Sadikovs (Lat)
Horuna (Ukr) vs Garibovic (Cro)

-67kg: Uygur is in, not Da Costa

The current European Champion Burak Uygur of Turkey is again in the final to retain his title acquired last year at home in Turkey. On his way, the French prodigy Steven Da Costa, winner in 2016, could be the one but he lost 5-4 entry against Azerbaijan’s Aghalardze. It's finally Serbia’s Jokisic who will play the final.

Final : Uygur (Tur) vs Jokisic (Ser)

Bronze: Aghalarzade (Aze) vs Pokorny (Aut)
Maresca (Ita) vs Tadissi (Hun)

-60kg: Pavlov and Crescenzo for a new final

Unknow at this stage of the competition, Pavlov and Crescenzo will fight for the title on Sunday.

Final : Pavlov (Mkd) vs Crescenzo (Ita)

Bronze : Lopes (Fra) vs Plakhutin (Rus)
Imrich (Svk) vs Kalnins (Lat)

Kata: Quintero and Sofuoglu in final

It was the final of last year at the European Championships in Turkey. Spain’s Damian Quintero and Turkey’s Ali Sofuoglu will face ech other again to win the European gold. During this qualifying day, the two karatekas achieved a flawless run with no flag conceded.

Final : Quintero (Spa) vs Sofuoglu (Tur)

Bronze : Busato (Ita) vs Smorguner (Ger)
Heydarov (Aze) vs Rzaev (Rus)

“Terliuga for her first consecration”

+68kg: Anne-Laure Florentin for a hat trick

The two-times running European champion, France’s Anne-Laure Florentin will aim a hat trick. Qualified for the final, she will cross the gloves with the Greek Chatziliadou to clinch her third consecutive continental title.

Final : Florentin (Fra) vs Chatziliadou (Gre)

Bronze : Vicovac (Srb) vs Palacio (Spa)
Konjevic (Mne) vs Celan (Cro)

-68kg: Elena Quirici, the marvelous comeback

She is back after a long injury, Switzerland's Quirici is in the final against Zaretska (Aze). Another favorite, France’s Alizee Agier lost (3-0) in the first round against Semeraro (Ita)

Final : Quirici (Swi) vs Zaretska (Aze)

Bronze : Vizcaino (Spa) vs Semeraro (Ita)
Cavar (Bos) vs Mojsovska (Mkd)

-61kg : Ignace once agian

Undisputed talent, France’s Lucie Ignace was in delicacy of results since the beginning of the year. Spurred by the young Philippe Gwendoline in the national ranks, the native of Reunion woke up at the best time to reach a new European final, her fourth in a row. On her way, only the Ukrainian Serogina is left to block her from the gold.

Finale : Ignace (Fra) vs Serogina (Ukr)

Bronze: Kornfeld (Swi) vs Coban (Tur)
Ristic (Slo) vs Alstadsae (Nor)

-55kg: Terliuga wants her first title

3rd in Turkey in 2017, 2nd in France in 2016, Ukrainia’s Angelika Terliuga has qualified for the final of these 2018 European championships. The world number 1 will face in the final Croatia’s Alesandra Hasani, winner of the Salzburg Serie A this year. In the semi-finals, she notably dismissed Italy’s Sara Cardin (3-2).
Favorite of the category, Turkey’s Yakan Tuba, reigning European champion, lost in ½ final against Croatia’s Hasani (0-0). The French world champion Emily Thouy, meanwhile, lost in the 1^st round to the Dutch fighter Eerden Van Der (2-1).

Final : Terliuga (Ukr) vs Hasani (Cro)

Bronze: Cardin (Ita) vs Bitsch (Ger)
Burkitt (Eng) vs Yakan (Tur)

-50kg: Ozcelik don’t miss the final

There was another umpteenth run between Serap Ozcelik and Alexandra Recchia, but unlike Turkey’s fighter, who managed to reach the final, the French champion stumbled into the semi finals against Austria's Bettina Plank (3-2). She still can get bronze.

Final :  Ozcelik (Tur) vs Plan (Aust)

Bronze : Recchia (Fra) vs Pop (Rom)
Koulinkovitch (Blr) vs Aliyeva (Aze)

Kata: Sanchez and Bottaro once again

As for men’s, the final of the female kata will oppose the same protagonists as last year. Both impeccable by conceding no flag, Spain’s Sandra Sanchez Jaime, the three-times running European champion, and Italy’s Viviana Bottaro, winner in the first round of Alexandra Feracci (5-0), will try to win gold this weekend.

Final : Sanchez (Spa) vs Bottaro (Ita)

Bronze : Feracci (Fra) vs Eltemur (Tur)
Miskova (Rtc) vs Balciarova (Slq)