First wins of the season for Ukraine’s Horuna (-75 kg), Japan’s Gomyo (67 kg) and Iran’s Khodabakhshi (-84 kg) and Abazari (+84 kg). The Istanbul Premier League (June 8th-10th), the last one before the Olympic qualifications’ start, saw a lot of firsts in the male categories. In the female ones, Switzerland’s Quirici (-68 kg) and Italy’s Cardin (-55 kg) were on top, as well as Bottaro in women’s Kata.
By Florian Fournier
Photo : K-photos
Rafael Aghayev, who was not engaged in Istanbul, was surely happy when he saw the results. Stanislav Horuna (-75 kg), 3rd of the last European championships, won his first K1 of the season in Turkey. The Ukrainian fighter left no chance to his opponents and was imperial, even though he won by decision his semifinal and final (0-0) and that.
In -60 kg, Iran’s Amir Mehdizadeh, the 2016 World champion, also won his first K1 of the season for his first appearance since Paris last January. The Iranian fighter reminded his opponents of his existence, which is not a good news for them. In the final, he won 3-1 against Eray Samdan, the new -60 kg rising star, who was fighting at home.
For the other categories, it’s a first for everyone. Japan’s Gomyo in -67 kg, Iran’s Khodabakhshi in -84 kg and Abazari in +84 kg wrote their names on the K1 winners.
Quirici and Cardin as bosses
Two-times European champion in Novi Sad last May, Switzerland’s Elena Quirici came to Turkey tired as she is making her military duties since the Europeans. So what ?... As a champion, she won in the -68 kg division by winning Japan’s Kikuchi in the final (3-2). Quirici had previously beaten Japan’s Kayo Someya, the 2012 World champion.
Winner of the Dubai K1 and 3rd of the last European Championships, Italy’s Sara Cardin (-55 kg) won her second K1 of the year in Istanbul. The Italian fighter won in the final 2-0 against Taipei’s Wen. Anzhelika Terliuga, the reigning European Champion, lost in the quarterfinals against Jana Bitsch (2-1).
Kata: Bottaro’s perfect weekend
Silver medallist at the European championships, Italy's Viviana Bottaro achieved a great performance by winning the Istanbul K1. In the final, she won 3-2 against Japan’s Kiyou Shimizu, the current World champion. Previously, she had dominated Sandra Jaime Sanchez of Spain in the semi-finals (3-2). The Olympic race is announced to be very open in the female kata.
In the male category, competition has tightened but Ryo Kiyuna remains the boss. In his first confrontation against the rising star, his compatriot Kazumasa Moto, Ryo Kiyuna won 3-2. In the semifinals, Moto beat Quintero 5-0, his second win over the Spanish Kata man this season after Guadalajara in February.
Results
Male
-60 kg : 1. Mehdizadeh (Ira) 2. Eray (Tur) 3. Assadilov (Kaz) and Dulovic (Mne)
-67 kg : 1. Gomyo (Jap) 2. Karimi (Ira) 3. Amirali (Kaz) and Mirzaei (Ira)
-75 kg : 1. Horuna (Ukr) 2. Asgari (Ira) 3. Watanabe (Jap) and Eltemur (Tur)
-84 kg : 1. Khodabakhshi (Ira) 2. Jakupi (Mcd) 3. Poorshab (Ira) and Tzanos (Gre)
+84 kg : 1. Abazari (Ira) 2. Lardy (Ned) 3. Kvesic (Cro) and Heydari (Ira)
Kata : 1. Kiyuna (Jap) 2. Moto (Jap) 3. Quintero (Spa) and Uemura (Jap)
Team Kata : 1. Morocco 2. Turkey 3. WKF 1 and Iran
Female
-50 kg : 1. Gu (Tpe) 2. Babaeva (Uzb) 3. Plank (Aut) and Kryva (Ukr)
-55 kg : 1. Cardin (Ita) 2. Wen (Tpe) 3. Bitsch (Ger) and Khaksar (Ira)
-61 kg : 1. Coban (Tur) 2. Buchinger (Aut) 3. Utelbayeva (Kaz) and Moriguchi (Jap)
-68 kg: 1. Quirici (Swi) 2. Kikuchi (Jap) 3. Abdelaziz (Egy) and Vizcaino (Spa)
+68 kg: 1. Keinanen (Fin) 2. Hocaoglu (Tur) 3. Saito (Jap) and Ferracuti (Ita)
Kata : 1. Bottaro (Ita) 2. Shimizu (Jap) 3. Sanchez (Spa) and Iwamoto (Jap)
Team Kata : 1. Turkey 2. Italy 3. Iran 1 and Iran 2
