Gold medals were awarded in the women’s kumite +59kg, men’s kumite
-68kg and men’s kumite +68kg categories. Norway’s Annika Saelid,
Belgium’s Quentin Mahauden, and Islamic Republic of Iran’s Navid
Mohammadi were the respective gold medallists at the Youth Olympic
Park’s Europe Pavilion, which once again drew large crowds for a second
intense day of karate action.
Saelid won her gold at the expense of Japan’s Sakura Sawashima, the
Norwegian compiling a 3-0 victory in a competition in which the bronzes
went to Great Britain’s Lauren Salisbury and Islamic Republic of Iran’s
Negin Altooni.
“It’s completely different at the Youth Olympic Games,” said
Salisbury when asked for her view on competing in the Olympic spotlight.
“Everything is focused on one mat and you don’t normally get that, even
in a world or European championships. All eyes are on one match.”
IOC
Looking ahead to the possibility of competing on home soil in two
years’ time, Sawashima said: “I am very happy Tokyo is hosting karate
at the Olympics. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to participate in
the Olympics, but I’m going to try. At the same time I feel pressure
because it’s quite a challenge, but I have always enjoyed this sport.”
Belgium’s Mahauden beat Morocco’s Yassine Sekouri by a narrow 1-0
margin to secure the men’s -68kg gold. Kazakhstan’s Abilmansur Batyrgali
and Italy’s Rosario Ruggiero shared the bronzes.
Highlighting the camaraderie among the athletes, the Belgian said:
“We forget the friendships for two minutes, but afterwards it is a
different game.”
Mohammadi claimed the sixth and final karate gold of Buenos Aires
2018 courtesy of an emphatic 5-0 defeat of Morocco’s Nabil Ech-Chaabi in
the men’s +68kg final, with Ireland’s Sean McCarthy Crean and Turkey’s
Enes Bulut sharing the last place on the podium.
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