3 finals out of 3 possible in the women categories. The Chinese fighters (Yin, Gong and Gao) showed who were the bosses during this 2nd day of the K1 Shanghai. The Iranian team offers us a 100% Persian final in the heavyweight division between Abazari and Ganjzadeh. Great it will be ! As will certainly be the final between the World champion Kvesic and the World N°1 and European champion Aktas (-84 kg)…
By Ludovic Mauchien / Photo : Kphotos
-84 kg : World champion vs World N°1 !
The world champion against the European champion and World N°1 ! Croatia’s Ivan Kvesic against Turkey’s Ugur Aktas. What more can be said… ? That they have been stronger than the Iranian armada that will compete for bronze (Poorshab, Khodabakhshi and Ghararizadeh). Ugur Aktas appears as the favorite with his 5 podiums in a row in 2019. Ivan Kvesic, 3rd at the Euro late March and then in Istanbul, is however in shape.
Aktas beat Elkotby (2-1), Martina (2-2), Abdullayev (0-0) and Ghararizadeh (2-0). Kvesic beat Khodabakhshi (3-1) and Poorshab (6-3). For his part, Ukraine’s World finalist Chobotar was beaten in the 2nd round by Jessie Da Costa (4-0) !
Final : Kvesic (Cro) vs Aktas (Tur)
Bronze: Poorshab (Irn) vs Khodabakhshi (Irn) and Ghararizadeh (Irn) vs Abdullayev (Aze)
+84 kg: 100% Iran !
Sajad Ganjzadeh, World silver medalist, 3 podiums in 2019 vs Saleh Abazari, Asian champion, 4 podiums in 2019 ! When we tell you that the Iranian school is one of the most beautiful in the world... Ganjzadeh defeated Bitevic (2-0), Lardy (3-0), Costa (1-0) and Arkania in ½ (2-1). Abazari dominated France’s Mehdi Filali in the ¼ finals (1-0) and Germany’s World champion Horne in ½ (1-0). They will both meet on Sunday for the bronze medal.
Final: Abazari (Irn) vs Ganjzadeh (Irn)
Bronze: Horne (Ger) vs Filali (Fra) and Arkania (Geo) vs Lardy (NL)
Kata : As usual !
Once again, Damian Quintero and Ryu Kiyuna are in the final. Behind them, place to the Japanese and a rising young American, Torres Gutierrez.
Final : Quintero (Esp) vs Kiyuna (Jpn)
Bronze : Moto (Jpn) vs Torres Gutierrez (USA) and Abe (Jpn) vs Shimbaba (Jpn)
Female
-61 kg: Remake of the World championship final
Coban defeated by Norway’s Alstadsaether (3-1), as Ferrer Garcia against Belgium's De Vos Nele (2-1). Lotfy dominated in the 3rd round by Ecuador’s Factos, 4-times Panamerican champion, World n°11 (6-3), as Philippe by Moriguchi (3-0)... The final will oppose Serbia’s Prekovic, the reigning World champion, and China’s Yin, winner in Salzburg and Rabat, and… finalist of the last Worlds. Revenge is in the air... France’s Gwendoline Philippe will not get her 9th medal in a row in the Premier League, beaten in the 3rd round by Moriguchi.
Final: Prekovic (Ser) vs Yin (Chn)
Bronze: M. Someya (Jpn) vs Moriguchi (Jpn) and Pasqua (Ita) vs Heurtault (Fra)
-68 kg : experience vs youth
Alizee Agier, the reigning European champion, returns to the top of the Premier League and will play her first final since Tokyo last October. On Sunday, she will fight against young Chinese Gong Li, 2 wins in Serie A in 2018 (Shanghai and Santiago). The French defeated Italy’s Semeraro in the ¼ finals (7-5) and then Switzerland’s Quirici in ½ (5-0). For her part, Gong Li dominated Kayo Someya in ¼ (2-0) and Panetsidou in ½ (6-0). The World champion Irina Zaretska lost to Panetsidou in the 3rd round (0-0).
Final: Agier (Fra) vs Gong (Chn)
Bronze: Panetsidou (Gre) vs Avazeri (Fra) and Quirici (Sui) vs Semeraro (Ita)
+68 kg : Berultseva and Gao for a Premiere
2017 Junior World champion, U21 Asian silver medallist in 2019, 3rd in Istanbul two weeks ago, the young Kazak Berultseva was promising. She is in the final ! She 1st beat Hocaoglu (2-1), then Torres Garcia in the 2nd (3-1) and Uekusa in the ½ final (5-3) !
She will face China's Gao, who defeated Abbasali (2-0) and Derracuti in ½ (1-0). One thing is sure : one of them will win her 1st Karate 1 Premier League.
Final: Gao (Chn) vs. Berultseva (Kaz)
Bronze: Hocaoglu (Tur) vs Uekusa (Jpn) and Ferracuti (Ita) vs Abbasali (Irn)
