Today was the first day of the 2018 Senior World Championships in Madrid, Spain. Canada certainly showed up ready and confident to the most important competition of the season.

The competition opened with Men’s Kata. Kenneth Lee (BC) won two convincing rounds including a 5-0 win against the African Continental Champion Michael Du Plessis (RSA) and another 4-1 versus Australian Shaun Yuen, bronze medalist of the 2018 Oceania Karate Championships. He then lost 2-3 in the third round against Sayed Salman Almosawi (KUW).

Rita Ngo (BC) was next, in Women’s Kata, and finished in 7^thplace. Ngo won three rounds 5-0, 4-1, 3-2 before falling to the number one ranked athlete in the world, Sandra Sanchez (ESP). She then moved to repechage where she lost to Pan American finalist Maria Dimitrova (DOM). Ngo placed 7^thfor the second consecutive time at Senior World Championships!

In the Kumite divisions, Daniel Gaysinsky (ON; men’s +84 kg) won two rounds 1-1 and 3-0 before losing in a tie against Andjelo Kvesic (CRO), ranked 10^thin the world. Yashna Hathi (NB), women’s +68kg, Maxym-Olivier Rivest (QC), men’s -84kg, and Melissa Bratic (ON), women’s -68kg, were unfortunately all eliminated after their first match.

Karate Canada is proud of all the competitors who took to the mats today, and wishes the best of luck to the ones competing tomorrow.

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Photo: Xavier Servolle