SPAIN has proven itself almost unbeatable in karate this year – female world number one Sandra Sánchez has clinched a triple crown, and two of her compatriots are now world champion and reserve champion respectively.
Despite Tokyo 2020 being Sandra's last Olympics – not through choice, but because karate will no longer feature in the Games from Paris 2024 onwards – she rounds off the year with nothing left to achieve after taking every top honour in her sport.
The 39-year-old from Talavera de la Reina (Toledo province) had already won her sixth European championship before heading to Tokyo this summer, where she netted a gold medal, and was already preparing for the world championships practically as soon as she returned home from the Japanese capital.
This took place at the weekend in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and having already won it twice in her career, Sandra (first picture) made it a hat-trick by coming out top in the kata category.
It is her second consecutive world title, as she was already defending champion after winning in 2019 in Madrid.
Sandra's Chatanyara Kushanku scored her 28.46, ahead of her rival Hikaru Ono's Papuren, which earned her 27.42.
The Spaniard also beat Hikaru in the technical and athletic categories, with 19.88 and 8.58 to her fellow contestant's 19.32 and 8.1, meaning Sandra's Japanese rival took home the silver, or reserve championship.
“I'd been preparing for this world championship really conscientiously, and the effort has paid off, because the last few months have been really tough,” Sandra admitted afterwards.
“I'm so happy, I'm floating on a cloud. I never once thought I could ever achieve an Olympic gold, a world championship and a European championship in the same year.
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