Intensity, courage, commitment, support, responsibility, self-improvement, the athletes of the Austrian national team gave everything they had at the 26th World Karate Championship – BUDAPEST 2023 – and when one gives everything and more, the result of the equation is simple, what a great thing it is to have such a team.
In the Papp Laszlo Budapest SPORT ARENA took place the last edition World Karate Championship with 1.149 athletes representing 103 countries and our athletes once again represented our federation with honor and pride.
Bettina PLANK dominated and controlled both fights CARDENAS – COL (0-0) and Sarah HUBRICH – GER (0-0) while at the same time making an enviable display of aggressiveness, leaving the competition for Hantei against the german athletes on the 1/16 round.
Lejla TOPALOVIC -61KG fought with a recently broken nose and surgery 10 days ago. This left her with a good feeling on the tatami.
Marina VUKOVIC -68kg, 9th place in her individual world debut, simply brilliant with results in her fights of: PUCHE – COL (6-4); AKINYI – KEN (8-0 Hansoku); ZARETSKA – AZE (0-6) and in the repechage SCHROETER – GER (3-5).
Stefan POKORNY -75kg started brilliantly by defeating the top 4 (6-2) on the second round, the Jordanian MASARWEH, which was followed by clear victories against WATTLIETE – CUR (3-1) and RIVEST – CAN (4-0) and falling in the final pool against the Ukrainian ZAPLITNYI (0-3), focused, skilled and sure, Pokorny once again demonstrated his quality.
Luca RETTENBACHER -84kg and Hamsat ISRAILOV -60kg had an opposite performance, while the debutant Hamsat made a good start to the fight, he did not take control in the second half of it, quite the opposite of Luca RETTENBACHER who had a phenomenal second half.
The Female Team Kumite beat Tunisia 2-0. With victories by Lora ZILLER (4-0) against the triple African champion CHEHINEZ Jemi top7 world ranking and Hanna DEVIGILI (4-2); who closed a victory before the third fight.
Against Slovenia in the last breath. Against the good Slovenian team, the initial result Hanna DEVIGILI (2-5) made the match complicated. Lora ZILLER put sanity, calm and character and started a tiea (2-2). In the 3rd bout and a memorable fight, patient and intelligent Lejlla TOPALOVIC turned the result around with (6-2) with a point that cleared any possibility of a tie in the last second.
In the round of 16 our team pushed the local team to the limit. Lora ZILLER calmed the local fury with a tie (1-1). Marina VUKOVIC kept the team with options despite a close defeat (1-2). Lejla TOPALOVIC maintained the chances of surprise until the end of the fight that would end on the Hungarian side (3-5).
Photos:
Gerhard.Graforner
Martin.Kremser
Karateinsights
