Austria’s new kata team with the sisters Funda, Isra and Sima Celo has reached the small final at the European Karate Championships in Guadalajara, Spain. The trio will meet France in Sunday morning’s bronze medal battle. Bettina Plank, third at the Olympics, had an early end on Thursday in the kumite class up to 50 kg.
The Vorarlberg native was eliminated in the second round by local hero Nadia Gomez and now has to worry about her start at the European Games in Poland at the end of June. If the direct qualification fails, Plank as the defending champion has a good chance of a wildcard. The medalist from Tokyo is also part of the kumite team with Lejla Topalovic, Hanna Devigili and Julia Pichler.
The Celo sisters have already successfully completed the preliminary round. The Lower Austrians finished third, eliminating Finland and Hungary and making it to the small final.
No medal for men’s trio
Stefan Pokorny lost on Wednesday in the fight for the bronze match in the kumite class up to 75 kg. Salzburg had the U21 European Championship third Nemanja Mikulic under control for a long time before the Montenegrin unpacked a leg technique shortly before the end and won 4:3. Like Luca Rettenbacher (up to 84 kg), Pokorny took seventh place. For Thomas Reindl (over 84 kg) it was already over in the opening lap.