KARATE Preview: World Championships underway in Madrid

The 24th world championships in Karate started on Tuesday at the WiZink Center in Madrid, with a record total of 1,117 entries from 140 countries assembled for competition. The draws have been completed with the top-seeded entries including:

Men: (* = defending champion)
∙ Kata:
1. Ryo Kiyuna (JPN)*
2. Danian Quintero (ESP)

∙ Team Kata:
1. Japan*
2. France

∙ Kumite:
-60 kg:
1. Amir Mehdizadeh (IRI)*
2. Firdovsi Farzaliyev (AZE)

-67 kg:
1. Jordan Thomas (ENG)
2. Yves Tadissi (HUN)

-75 kg:
1. Rafael Aghayev (AZE)*
2. Luigi Busa (ITA)

-84 kg:
1. Ryutaro Araga (JPN)*
2. Aykhan Mamayev (AZE)

+84 kg:
1. Sajad Ganjzadeh (IRI)*
2. Andjelo Kvesic (CRO)

Team:
1. Iran*
2. Japan

Women:
∙ Kata:
1. Kiyou Shimizu (JPN)*
2. Sarah Sayed (EGY)

∙ Team Kata:
1. Japan*
2. Spain

∙ Kumite:
-50 kg:
1. Alexandra Recchia (FRA)*
2. Miho Miyahara (JPN)

-55 kg:
1. Valeria Kumizaki (BRA)
2. Tzu-Yun Wen (TPE)

-61 kg:
1. Giana Lotfy (EGY)*
2. Anita Serogina (UKR)

-68 kg:
1. Katrine Pedersen (DEN)
2. Marina Rakovic (MNE)

+68 kg:
1. Ayumi Uekusa (JPN)*
2. Eleni Chatziliadou (GRE)

Team:
1. France*
2. Spain

Japan dominated the 2016 Worlds, winning six events in all and collecting nine medals (6-2-1), tied for the most medals won with France (3-2-4), Iran also had three wins and won six medals (3-0-3) for third.

Look for results here.