Karateka Ryo Kiyuna clinched his third consecutive world crown in the kata division for men at the world championships in Madrid on Saturday.
All flags went Kiyuna¡¯s way in the final at the WiZink Center sports hall, giving him a 5-0 victory over Spain¡¯s Damian Quintero in the solo performance event where athletes demonstrate choreographed sequences of karate techniques.
¡°I am very happy for this victory,¡± Kiyuna said according to . ¡°I have competed with Damian many times over, so I knew that I had to give my best in order to get the title.
¡°I have worked very hard to be here, and I am very pleased to have won because this tournament is crucial for the (2020 Tokyo) Olympic qualification.¡±
Karate will make its Olympic Games debut in Tokyo, and the 28-year-old Kiyuna is likely to be one of the host nation¡¯s top gold medal prospects.
In the women¡¯s competition, Miho Miyahara upset Turkish favorite Serap Ozcelik in the 50-kilogram kumite, or sparring, class. The 22-year-old triumphed 3-1 to win her first gold at the worlds.
But her compatriot Kiyou Shimizu, 24, failed to claim her third straight gold in the women¡¯s kata division, succumbing to Spain¡¯s Sandra Sanchez 3-2.
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