Karate jewels from Sigleß: Tamara and Sophie shine in Mexico!

Karate jewels from Sigleß: Tamara and Sophie shine in Mexico!

At this year’s Youth World Cup “Karate 1 Youth League” in Monterrey, Mexico, the Austrian karatekas showed impressive performances. The event took place on the weekend in August and attracted the best talent from around the world. On board were the winter national champions from Frieways Karate Club: Emil Zadina, Tamara Lehner and Sophie Strodl, who made the long journey of over 40 hours and had to get used to the eight-hour time difference. How meinkreis.at reported, Tamara Lehner entered as the favorite after winning the gold medal at a tournament in Porec. Her strong performances continued in Mexico, where she eventually reached the final.

However, in the all-important fight against the Portuguese karateka Rita Marques, who is number one in the world rankings, the 14-year-old had to admit defeat and settle for silver. Still, this is an impressive result considering Lehner recently moved up to the U16 class and is continually working on her skills. In the first half of 2023, she was also able to draw attention with a fifth place at the World Cup in Spain and also secured a silver medal at the Goju-Ryu European Championships in Belgium.

Top placements and medal successes

Another highlight of the tournament was the performance of Sophie Strodl, who is only 13 years old. In the small final she secured the bronze medal with 37.7 points against the American fighter Amanda Duarte, who scored 35.9 points. This is another success for Strodl after she won a medal in her first international participation in the U12 class last year. Her steady progress is promising for the future and shows that she has great talent.

While the two successful athletes were on the podium, Emil Zadina, who moved to the older age group, did not have luck on his side. The 14-year-old was unable to win a medal in Mexico because physical growth spurts affected his performance. Nevertheless, the team is proud of their overall performance and the experiences they were able to gain abroad.

Insights into the world of karate

The Karate World Championships, which are considered the most important competitions in karate, have been held since 1970 and are of great importance for the athletes. The globally recognized association, the World Karate Federation (WKF), organizes these championships every two years. From 2024, team competitions will be held in a new format, which will represent an even more exciting challenge for many athletes. More about this and the history of the competitions can be found at Wikipedia to read.

All in all, the Youth World Cup in Mexico was an exciting event for the young athletes and another chapter in Austria's karate history. With talents like Tamara Lehner and Sophie Strodl in the midst of development, we can look forward to the next competitions.