Ryo Kiyuna
Ryo Kiyuna in 2018
Personal information
Born (1990-07-12) 12 July 1990
Okinawa, Japan[1]
Sport
CountryJapan
SportKarate
Events
Medal record
Men's karate
Representing  Japan
Summer Olympics
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Individual kata
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2014 Bremen Individual kata
Gold medal – first place 2016 Linz Individual kata
Gold medal – first place 2018 Madrid Individual kata
Gold medal – first place 2021 Dubai Individual kata
Gold medal – first place 2016 Linz Team kata
Gold medal – first place 2018 Madrid Team kata
Bronze medal – third place 2012 Paris Individual kata
Asian Championships
Gold medal – first place 2015 Yokohama Individual kata
Gold medal – first place 2017 Astana Individual kata
Gold medal – first place 2018 Amman Individual kata
Gold medal – first place 2019 Tashkent Individual kata
Gold medal – first place 2021 Almaty Individual kata
Gold medal – first place 2015 Yokohama Team kata
Gold medal – first place 2017 Astana Team kata
Gold medal – first place 2018 Amman Team kata
Gold medal – first place 2019 Tashkent Team kata
Gold medal – first place 2021 Almaty Team kata
Gold medal – first place 2022 Tashkent Team kata
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Dubai Individual kata
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2018 Jakarta Individual kata
World Games
Gold medal – first place 2017 Wrocław Individual kata
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Cali Individual kata
World Combat Games
Silver medal – second place 2013 Saint Petersburg Individual kata

Ryo Kiyuna (喜友名諒, Kiyuna Ryō, born 12 July 1990)[2] is an Okinawan karateka. He won the gold medal in the men's kata event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.[3] He is also a four-time gold medalist in the men's kata event at the World Karate Championships and a two-time gold medalist in the men's team kata event, alongside Arata Kinjo and Takuya Uemura.[4] He has also won multiple gold medals in both the individual and team kata events at the Asian Karate Championships.

Career

At the 2012 World Karate Championships held in Paris, France, Kiyuna won one of the bronze medals in the men's individual kata event.[5] The following year, he represented Japan at the 2013 World Games in Cali, Colombia and he won the bronze medal in the men's kata event.[6]

In 2014, at the World Karate Championships held in Bremen, Germany, Kiyuna won the gold medal in the men's individual kata event.[5][7] At the 2016 World Karate Championships held in Linz, Austria, he won the gold medal in both the men's individual and men's team kata events.[5][7][8] In 2017, Kiyuna won the gold medal in the men's kata event at the World Games held in Wrocław, Poland.[5][9][10] In the final, he defeated Damián Quintero of Spain.[10]

At the 2018 Asian Karate Championships held in Amman, Jordan, Kiyuna won the gold medal in the men's kata event.[11] A month later, he won the gold medal in the men's kata event at the 2018 Asian Games held in Jakarta, Indonesia.[5][2][12] In the final, he defeated Wang Yi-ta of Taiwan. In 2019, at the Asian Karate Championships held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, he won the gold medal in both the men's individual kata and men's team kata events.[13][14]

Kiyuna represented Japan at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.[15][16] He won the gold medal in the men's kata event,[17][18] becoming Japan's first gold medalist from Okinawa.[19] In the final, he defeated Damián Quintero of Spain.[20] He was also the flag bearer for Japan during the closing ceremony.[21] A few months after the Olympics, he won the gold medal in the men's kata event at the 2021 World Karate Championships held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.[22][23] In December 2021, he won the gold medal in both the men's individual and men's team kata events at the Asian Karate Championships held in Almaty, Kazakhstan.[24][25]

Personal life

He studied at Okinawa International University.[1] In December 2020, he contracted COVID-19.[26]

Kiyuna's mother died in 2019 at the age of 57. At the gold medal ceremony for kata at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Kiyuna paid tribute to his mother's support by carrying a framed picture of her during the proceedings.[27][28]

Achievements

YearCompetitionVenueRankEvent
2012 World Championships Paris, France 3rd Individual kata
2013 World Games Cali, Colombia 3rd Individual kata
World Combat Games Saint Petersburg, Russia 2nd Individual kata
Asian Championships Dubai, United Arab Emirates 3rd Individual kata
2014 World Championships Bremen, Germany 1st Individual kata
2015 Asian Championships Yokohama, Japan 1st Individual kata
1st Team kata
2016 World Championships Linz, Austria 1st Individual kata
1st Team kata
2017 Asian Championships Astana, Kazakhstan 1st Individual kata
1st Team kata
World Games Wrocław, Poland 1st Individual kata
2018 Asian Championships Amman, Jordan 1st Individual kata
1st Team kata
Asian Games Jakarta, Indonesia 1st Individual kata
World Championships Madrid, Spain 1st Individual kata
1st Team kata
2019 Asian Championships Tashkent, Uzbekistan 1st Individual kata
1st Team kata
2021 Summer Olympics Tokyo, Japan 1st Individual kata
World Championships Dubai, United Arab Emirates 1st Individual kata
Asian Championships Almaty, Kazakhstan 1st Individual kata
1st Team kata
2022 Asian Championships Tashkent, Uzbekistan 1st Team kata

References

  1. 1 2 "Ryo Kiyuna determined to win gold medal at Tokyo Olympics, "I train 365 days a year"". Ryukyu Shimpo. 1 January 2020. Archived from the original on 4 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Karate Results" (PDF). 2018 Asian Games. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 April 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  3. ↑ Barker, Philip (6 August 2021). "World champion Kiyuna wins first men's Olympic kata title". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  4. ↑ "Remembering the 2018 Karate World Championships". World Karate Federation. 11 November 2020. Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Hernon, Matthew (16 August 2019). "Meet the Tokyo 2020 Athletes: Karate Sensation Ryo Kiyuna". Tokyo Weekender. Archived from the original on 4 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  6. ↑ "Karate Medalists by Event" (PDF). 2013 World Games. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  7. 1 2 Etchells, Daniel (29 October 2016). "Four gold medals for Japan on opening day of finals at 2016 Karate World Championships". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  8. ↑ Etchells, Daniel (30 October 2016). "Japan top medal table at 2016 Karate World Championships after claiming team kata double on final day". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  9. ↑ "Kiyuna, Shimizu win gold in karate kata at World Games". The Japan Times. 26 July 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  10. 1 2 "Karate Results" (PDF). 2017 World Games. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 April 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  11. ↑ Etchells, Daniel (14 July 2018). "Japan claim seven gold medals at Asian Karate Championships". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  12. ↑ Etchells, Daniel (25 August 2018). "Unified Korean team win dragon boat bronze medal on historic day at 2018 Asian Games". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  13. ↑ Rowbottom, Mike (20 July 2019). "Japan earn six titles but Uzbek hosts also golden at Asian Karate Championships". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  14. ↑ "2019 Asian Karate Championships Results" (PDF). World Karate Federation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  15. ↑ "WKF announces first qualified athletes for Tokyo 2020". WKF.net. 18 March 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  16. ↑ Shefferd, Neil (18 March 2020). "World Karate Federation announces first 40 karatekas to have qualified for Tokyo 2020". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  17. ↑ "Karate-Okinawa's Kiyuna mesmerises to win men's kata gold". Reuters. 6 August 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  18. ↑ "Tokyo Olympics: Karate - the one-Games wonder that delivered on drama and emotion". BBC Sport. 8 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  19. ↑ "Sayonara, and bonjour: Japanese stars who shone brightly at Tokyo 2020". International Olympic Committee. 8 August 2021.
  20. ↑ "Karate Results Book" (PDF). 2020 Summer Olympics. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  21. ↑ "List of closing ceremony flag bearers" (PDF). 2020 Summer Olympics. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 October 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  22. ↑ Morgan, Liam (20 November 2021). "Kiyuna makes history as Olympic gold medallists retain titles at Karate World Championships". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  23. ↑ "2021 World Karate Championships Results Book" (PDF). World Karate Federation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  24. ↑ Burke, Patrick (22 December 2021). "Japan top medal table at Asian Karate Championships in Almaty". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  25. ↑ "2021 Asian Karate Championships Results Book" (PDF). Sportdata.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  26. ↑ Berkeley, Geoff (19 December 2020). "Karate world champion Kiyuna contracts coronavirus as cases rise in Japan". InsideTheGames.biz. Archived from the original on 19 December 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  27. ↑ Denyer, Simon; Inuma, Julia Mio (6 August 2021), "An Okinawa native wins gold in karate, making history for his sport and its birthplace", The Washington Post
  28. ↑ "Japan's Kiyuna confident karate will return to Olympics", Kyodo News, 7 August 2021
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