Thrilling Results Unfold on Day Two of #Karate1Athens
1/14/2024
karate1
The 2024 Karate 1-Series A Athens continued its electrifying journey on its second day, showcasing exceptional skill, determination, and sportsmanship. Japanese karatekas dominating Kata divisions, Lea Avazeri of France and representatives of the host country Georgios Karalis and Maria Stoli were among the heroes of day 2.
In the Male Kata final, the spotlight will shine on two Japanese contenders, Ryusei Ikeda and Yasuhiro Machida. Ryusei Ikeda, in his first international final, defeated Cleiver Casanova of Venezuela in the semi-finals (42.10 to 40.80) while Yasuhiro Machida aims at improving the bronze he took in the 2023 Karate 1-Series A Matosinhos following a victory by 41.20 to 38.50 over Italy’s Alessandro Iodice.
The Male Kumite-60kg final will bring together Mert Alici of Turkiye and Georgios Karalis of Greece in a gripping clash of titans. The representative of the host nation reached the final after beating Gaurav Sindhiya of India 3-0 while Alici claimed a convincing 7-2 victory over Titouan Leger of France.
The Female Kumite -61kg category will witness a spectacular showdown between Maryam Ajaray of Belgium and Lea Avazeri of France. The silver medallist in 2023 Karate 1-Series A Richmond-Vancouver Ajaray took an impressive 10-6 triumph over Renata Arabli of Azerbaijan. Avazeri who won gold at the 2022 Karate 1-Series A Kocaeli upset Mia Cacko of Croatia 3-0.
In the Male Kumite -67kg final, the audience can expect a fierce clash between Miguel Nunes Ribeiro of Portugal and Artur Stepanov of Latvia. The Portuguese karateka qualified for the final with a slim 1-0 victory over Matej Homola of Slovakia, and his Latvian opponent followed suit with a 1-0 triumph over Anis Ayoub Helassa of Algeria.
The Female Kumite -50kg final will feature an intense encounter between Chloe Breuzard of France and Masoumeh Mohsenian of Iran. Chloe Breuzard's agility and strategic moves put her in her first international final (2-2 over Anja Jovic of Montenegro). Mohsenian, also a first-time finalist beat Styliani-Eleni Tzilia of Greece 4-4.
Moving on to Female Kumite -55kg, Jennifer Warling of Luxembourg will face off against Maria Stoli of Greece. Stoli brought another final for the host country following a 4-2 triumph over Matilda Roselind of Sweden. Warling who is an eight-time Karate 1-Premier League medallist reached the final after beating Rezza Im Zumra of Turkiye 2-0.
The Female Team Kata final will be a captivating display of teamwork and synchronization, with Turkiye and Portugal clashing for gold. The Turkish side upset Spain 4 40.90 to 39.30 while Portugal beat Spain 5 39.40 to 38.80.
As the competition in Athens concludes its second day, the excitement continues to build, setting the stage for what promises to be an unforgettable culmination of the opening event of the season of 2024 Karate 1-Series A.
The finals of #Karate1Athens are available LIVE on the WKF YouTube channel