With the battle to get karate into the Olympics over, the real battle begins as the most elite karatekas go head-to-head at the Tokyo Games.
After decades of being shut out of the Olympics, karate will finally make its long-awaited debut at the Tokyo Games—in the country where it originates, no less.
Karate, an unarmed martial arts discipline, which literally translates to “empty hand” in Japanese, was born during the 17th century in the archipelago of Okinawa—a chain of islands off the coast of the mainland. It was only eighty-six years ago when Japan officially recognized karate as a martial art. Now, the sport has been officially recognized by the biggest sporting event in the world.
Olympic karate will include two types of events—Kata and Kumite—for both men and women, which will see a total of eighty athletes from around the world.
During the Kata event, karatekas will perform a series of offensive and defensive movements, referred to as “forms,” against a virtual opponent. Athletes can choose from 102 Kata approved by the World Karate Federation (WKF).
Rather than relying on the flag system, which is used in traditional competitions, the Olympic judges will employ a point system to rate the athletes’ technical performance. Technique, timing, and breathing will be taken into consideration, as well as their athletic delivery, including speed, strength, and balance.
As per the new scoring system, an athlete’s highest and lowest scores are discarded. The remaining three scores are added together to represent their final score.
Kumite is a sparring discipline. The Olympics will have three weight classes each for men and women instead of the WKF-recognized five weight classes. For men, those classes are up to 67 kilograms, up to 75kg, and over 75kg. For women, it’s up to 55 kg, up to 61kg, and over 61kg.
Within each weight class, pairs of karateka will go head-to-head in an 8-by-8-meter area for over three minutes. Judges will award points to athletes when they properly execute strikes, kicks, and punches on their opponent. The first to score eight points more than their opponent or the one to finish the fight wins.
There are three rounds in the Kumite competition. Competitors in each weight category will advance through an elimination round to reach the semi-final round and eventually the gold-medal bout.
At least eight of the newly-minted Olympic athletes are set to walk away with Olympic gold medals. The competition will be tough, but the competitors are even tougher—as depicted in these epic photos of the athletes competing ahead of the Games.
1. Damián Quintero, Kata (Spain)
Spain’s Damián Quintero has won many awards during his illustrious career, but currently, there’s only one award on his mind: Olympic gold.
Quintero, who is first in the world in men’s ranking for Kata, recently considered retirement, but put those plans on hold to compete in karate’s Olympic debut. “My goal is the Olympic Games. There’s nothing else in my head but the Games,” he told the Olympic Channel.
2. Sandra Sánchez, Kata (Spain)
Quintero’s teammate Sandra Sánchez is also a strong claimant for the gold medal in the Kata category. Recognized as first in the world in the WFK ranking, the World Karate Federation called her the “greatest of all time.”
Sánchez won the 2018 World Championships in the women’s individual event and is a five-time European champion—meaning she has the most medals in the history of the international circuit.
3. Ryo Kiyuna, Kata (Japan)
With hardly one loss to his name, three-time defending world champion Ryo Kiyuna of Okinawa—the birthplace of karate—is an outstanding favorite to win the men’s Kata event. The athlete contracted the coronavirus back in December 2020, but is fighting fit ahead of the Games.
4. Kiyou Shimizu, Kata (Japan)
Kiyou Shimizu is Japan’s queen of karate. All eyes are on the two-time world champion, who is the country’s favorite to win gold during the Olympics Kata event.
Like her rival Sandra Sánchez, Shimizu was inspired to start karate after visiting her brother’s dojo when she was a little girl. She struggled for success during her teens, but after vowing to win the world championship, success soon followed. She won, becoming the youngest national champion at age nineteen.
5. Miho Miyahara, Kumite -55kg (Japan)
Standing at number two in the world, Miho Miyahara has been bracing herself both mentally and physically to fight larger opponents in the Olympics. While she typically competes in the 50 kg weight class, the Games have consolidated the traditional five weight classes into three, meaning Miyahara must compete with athletes in the -55 kg weight class. The former world champion has put on an extra three kilos worth of muscle to prepare to fight big players.
6. Steven Da Costa, Kumite -67kg (France)
Steven Dacosta of France took home gold in the men’s -67 kg event at the 2018 World Karate Championships in Madrid, Spain. With any luck, he’ll do the same in Japan. He represents France during the Kumite -67 kg event at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
7. Xiaoyan Yin, Kumite -61kg (China)
Xiaoyan Yin is seeking revenge after her rival, Serbia’s Jovana Pekovic, beat her to gold at the final of the 2018 World Championships. Both athletes will be competing in the same -61 kg weight class at the Tokyo Olympics. Will this be Yin’s chance at redemption?
8. Ryutaro Araga, Kumite -75kg (Japan)
Ryutaro Araga is the son of karate instructors and brother of another champion in the sport, meaning karate runs in his blood. In 2017, he became the grand winner of the Male Kumite -84 kg category. At the Olympics, he’ll be flying the flags for Japanese karate and karate tradition.
9. Jonathan Horne, Kumite +75kg (Germany)
German karateka Jonathan Horne triumphantly won the 2018 World Karate Championships in Madrid, Spain. Now, he’s vying to take home another medal, this time from the Tokyo Olympic Games.
He will represent Germany in the +75 kg Kumite competition. Horne will face Slobodan Bitevic of Serbia in a repeat of the final from the previous European Championships.
10. Hamideh Abbasali, Kumite +61kg (Iran)
For Hamideh Abbasal, the world’s second-ranked karateka in the women’s Kumite event, the Olympics year postponement was a blessing. She needed time to recover after a serious knee injury during the finals of the Karate 1-Premier League finals (which she won in Salzburg last year). She has since been training hard to ensure she brings her best performance to the Games.
11. Wen Tzu-yun, Kumite -55kg (Taiwan)
Taiwanese karateka Wen Tzu-yun had already qualified for the Tokyo Olympics back in March 2020. However, when it was postponed due to COVID-19, the athlete had to do it all over again. It was a close contest, but the twenty-seven-year-old female Kumite (-55 kg) secured a spot again.
The Olympic karate competition runs from August 5-8, 2021. Each day of competition will convey at least one medal event. Check out the full schedule here. All times are in Japanese Standard Time (JST).
For more stunning Olympic photos, past and present:
- 11 Jaw-Dropping Photos of Olympic-Bound Skateboarders
- 11 Rock-Climbing Photos That Offer an Epic Preview of the Olympics
- 9 Athletes to Watch in Tokyo’s 2021 Olympics
- Olympic Preview: 11 Stunning Photos of Elite Surfers in Action
- 20 Historic Moments from the Winter Olympics
Cover image via YUTAKA/AFLO/Shutterstock.
