The 2024 EKF Senior Championships kicked off in Zadar, Croatia, with Europe’s top karate athletes battling for spots in the finals across several categories. Here’s a recap of the results from day one.
Female Kata: D’Onofrio and Bozan to Face Off in Surprising Final
Terryana D’Onofrio of Italy and Dilara Bozan of Turkiye will meet in the final of Female Kata. D’Onofrio upset defending champion Paola Garcia Lozano of Spain with scores 42.20 to 41.40. Meanwhile, Bozan defeated Germany’s Jasmin Juettner with scores of 41.50 to 40.70.
D’Onofrio is a first-time finalist with two continental bronze medals, while Bozan is the current bronze medallist and a three-time silver medallist.
Male Kata: Quintero and Sofuoglu Reignite Rivalry
Spain’s Damian Quintero will face Turkiye’s Ali Sofuoglu in the Male Kata final in a repetition of the title-deciding bout of the 2023 World Championships.
Quintero beat Alessio Ghinami of Italy 43.00 to 41.90, while Sofuoglu defeated Anthony Vu of Sweden 42.40 to 40.40.
Quintero is a seven-time continental champion and defending champion. Sofuoglu is the current world champion and two-time continental champion.
Damian Quintero (ESP) will clash for gold against Ali Sofuoglu (TUR)
Female Kumite +68kg: Kneer Aims to Defend Title Against Newcomer Walters
Germany’s Johanna Kneer and England’s Rochelle Walters will compete in the Female Kumite +68kg final. Kneer overwhelmed Fortesa Orana of Kosovo with a decisive 7-0 victory, while Walters overpowered Spain’s Maria Torres 11-4 in one of the big upsets of the day.
Kneer is the defending continental champion, while Walters is a first-time finalist with a silver medal from the 2024 Karate 1-Premier League Paris as her best result.
Male Kumite +84kg: Kvesic and Avanzini Battle for Gold
In the Male Kumite +84kg, Croatia’s Andjelo Kvesic and Italy’s Matteo Avanzini will vie for the title. Kvesic narrowly beat Anes Bostandzic of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-1, as Avanzini defeated Stefan Joksimovic of Slovenia 4-2.
Kvesic is a fan favourite with a continental title and three continental medals and reaches the final at home much to the celebration of local fans. Avanzini is a first-time finalist with a Karate 1-Premier League Rabat gold as his best result.
Alizee Agier (FRA) in action
Female Kumite -68kg: Agier and Quirici Clash in Much-Anticipated Final
The final in the Female Kumite -68kg category will feature Alizee Agier of France against Elena Quirici of Switzerland. Agier beat Spain’s Maria Isabel Nieto 6-2, while Quirici edged out Elina Sieliemienieva of Ukraine 1-0.
The final will be a true clash of titans, as Agier is a three-time continental medallist and last won the title in 2019, while Quirici is the current European champion and a three-time continental champion.
Male Kumite -84kg: Mastrogiannis Upsets Kvesic
In the Male Kumite -84kg, Konstantinos Mastrogiannis of Greece defeated Croatia’s Ivan Kvesic 6-6, earning a spot in the final against Brian Timmermans of the Netherlands, who beat Turkiye’s Hasan Arslan 3-3.
Both Mastrogiannis and Timmermans are current continental bronze medallists and aim and their first continental crown.
Female Kumite -61kg: Suchankova to Meet Topalovic
The Female Kumite -61kg final will feature Ingrida Bakos Suchankova of Slovakia against Lejla Topalovic of Austria. Suchankova beat Fatma Naz Yenen of Turkiye 2-2, while Topalovic triumphed over Reem Khamis of Germany 2-1.
Suchankova is the 2022 continental champion, while Topalovic is making her debut in a major final, in one of the big surprises of the day.
Go to the WKF Facebook page for the best pictures of day 1 of #KarateZadar2024
Male Kumite -75kg: De Vivo and Martinac Make Their Marks
In the Male Kumite -75kg category, Italy’s Daniele De Vivo and Croatia’s Ivan Martinac will go head-to-head in the final. De Vivo defeated Nemanja Mikulic of Montenegro 7-1, while Martinac beat Petar Zaborski of North Macedonia 3-0.
De Vivo is a two-time Karate 1-Premier League gold medallist, while Martinac is competing in his first major final since 2016. Another local representative fighting for gold, Martinac will have the support of the Croatian fans on his side.
With the stage set for a thrilling day two, these finalists will be battling for continental glory in Zadar. Stay tuned for more action from the 2024 EKF Senior Championships.
For live updates and exclusive content, follow the WKF on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and TikTok and visit the microsite of the 2024 EKF Senior Championships.