The 2016 Karate European Championships in Montpellier crowned one of the leading stars of the sport at the moment.

The 2016 Karate European Championships in Montpellier crowned one of the leading stars of the sport at the moment when Sara Cardin claimed gold medal in Female Kumite -55 kg. The Italian Karate Star increased an outstanding tally of seven gold medals in main international competitions so to be raised to Karate’s stardom.

As Sara Cardin steps into the tatami, the vision of modern Karate takes the stage. The 29 years-old Karateka has dedicated her life not only to master Karate but to extend the ancient sport. Now all the effort pays off as the Treviso natural athlete extended her domination in the category clinching her third European Championship title.

“It is not easy to remain at the highest level, and for me it was already a success to be in here and in the finals. I usually try to change my strategies (in combats) because obviously my opponents study my reactions, so I have to value the performance of my rival who was great today,” declared the Italian Star.

Sara Cardin beat Ukraine’s Anzhelika Terliuga in the heartbreaking title-deciding clash in Montpellier. The Italian ace found herself losing the match 3-0, but a sanction to her rival in the last seconds of the combat for evasive techniches represented the disqualification of the Ukranian Karateka by ‘Hansoku’ and put Cardin on top of the podium.

Previously, the Italian star had convincingly won all her contests receiving only two points and signing eight in her favour in the previous rounds.

“The level of this championship has been outstanding; the sport hall is impressive, with great number of spectators attending the event, who are always supporting all the athletes. I think tournaments like this give a real dimension of how spectacular our sport is,” commented Cardin.



A life dedicated to Karate

Guided by her grandfather to take Karate, after the patriarch of the Cardin family saw her climbing trees and kicking old rags, the Karate Star demonstrated the greatness of this sport and became a symbol for women Karatekas after devoting her life to Dojos.

While the medals kept coming, Sara Cardin also turned into a household name for Karate in her country, especially after being proclaimed world champion. As the 2016 World Championships in Linz appears in the horizon of the affable and radiant athlete, the future looks bright for Sara Cardin.

“We all are looking forward to the confirmation of being included in the Olympic Games, and I am sure that it will be the final imprint to make Karate Olympic sport. Personally, after a little bit of relaxing, I will start preparing the World Championships in Linz; at this moment this is my main goal. I want to go step by step,” she added.

In her effort to make Karate as beloved for everyone as it is for her, Sara Cardin has a message for everyone who wants to take this sport:

“Karate is the perfect sport for all ages; it doesn’t matter if you are a little girl, a woman, or an adult man, Karate enriches you personally. This is a pure sport and the values you get from practising it will remain with you forever.”

Watch her full interview in WKF’s YouTube channel.