The 2017 GRAND WINNER of the Female Kumite -68kg category is IRINA ZARETSKA. At 21-years-old the Azeri karateka is the youngest Grand Winner this year, together with Uzbekistan’s Sadriddin Saymatov. A competitor used to success at early ages, Irina Zaretska represents the growing impact of young karatekas in international Karate.  

The 2017 GRAND WINNER of the Female Kumite -68kg category is IRINA ZARETSKA. At 21-years-old the Azeri karateka is the youngest Grand Winner this year, together with Uzbekistan’s Sadriddin Saymatov. A competitor used to success, Irina Zaretska represents the growing impact of young karatekas in international Karate.  

The 1st-dan Shotokan karateka was crowned 2017 Grand Winner following a successful season at the first-class events of the sport. Zaretska took three medals five competitions in a demonstration of effective and victorious high-level Karate.   

“It is perfect for me to win this Grand Winner award. In the last tournament (in Halle/Leipzig), things did not go as expected and I did not get what I wanted, but I am happy that finally I could win the Grand Winner,” said Irina Zaretska who suffered an early elimination at the Karate 1-Premier League in Halle/Leipzig. 

MEDAL-WINNING PERFORMANCES

The 21-year-old karateka started the season with a remarkable silver medal at the Karate 1-Premier League in Paris. After an impressive demonstration of offensive Karate - taking 20 points in five bouts and allowing only two yukos - Zaretska was defeated by a slight 1-0 in the final against local heroine Alizee Agier. 

Zaretska’s quest to glory did not take long to see golden results this year. The Azeri karateka reached the top of the podium a month later, in the second event of the Karate 1-Premier League season in Rotterdam. Zaretska took the spotlight in the Dutch city after receiving only one yuko in six bouts and signing 17 points defeating World champion Alisa Buchinger in the final so to claim gold in the tournament. 

At the third event of the season in Dubai, Zaretska repeated victorious path and outstripped all rivals thus earning her four gold medal in Karate 1-Premier League events. “I hope I can do the same next season and also win Grand Winner. It is definitively a good motivation for me to continue working hard,” said Irina Zaretska, who has learned the growing importance of Karate 1-Premier League. 

SHINING AT KARATE 1-PREMIER LEAGUE 

“Now that we have titles in Karate 1-Premier League, for me, it is even more important to succeed here. When you win a medal here, you feel great, it gives you so much power and everyone gets to know you,” said the Azeri karateka. 

Irina Zaretska was born in Chernovidskaya (Ukraine) and changed nationalities not long before her first big success, the victory at the European Games. Wearing the flag of the organising country, Zaretska succeeded at the first edition of the European Games in a memorable performance. It is still fresh in Karate’s fans memory her 8-1 victory over Austria’s Alisa Buchinger in the final of the competition, in a bout in which Zaretska connected the so called ‘ippon of the tournament”. 

One of the top Karate’s young rising stars, Zaretska won her first medal in a major senior international competition in 2015, at only 19 years. Now, after 12 medals in international events, the 2017 GRAND WINNER sets her eyes on bigger goals. 

“Since the Karate 1-Premier League events are so important in terms of the ranking to get the qualification for Tokyo, we will use every Karate 1-Premier League from now on to get more experience and to learn more and more in the race to Tokyo 2020,” said Zaretska