The Olympic, world and European champion closes the circle at 40 years old with the only title she was missing
MADRID, 9 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish karate fighter Sandra Sánchez ended her tremendous career this Friday by winning gold in katas at the World Games that are being held in Birmingham (United States).
The 40-year-old from Talavera won the only major tournament she needed, beating the Japanese Hikaru Ono (27:00-27:92) in the final, to retire with a golden brooch as her career, considered by the World Federation as the best of history
Sánchez beat New Zealander Alexandrea Camacho, Germany’s Jasmin Juettner and Italy’s Carola Casale by a wide margin earlier in the preliminary round to reach the semifinals, where the Spaniard beat Hong Kong karate fighter Grace Lau.
In the state of Alabama, the one from Talavera de la Reina was exhibited for the last time at a professional level, to be able to say that she has won everything. Despite not joining the national team until she was 34 years old, the player from La Mancha has not stepped off the top of the podium since then.
In 2021 it was the consecration, with the triple crown. Sandra was proclaimed European champion for the seventh time in a row in May last year and in August she won gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games: the great challenge, in the Budokan, in the cradle of karate.
The Spanish took a historic gold, in the Olympic debut of this sport, a premiere that was not going to have continuity since it left the program for Paris 2024. The triple crown was within reach at the World Cup in Dubai in November, where Sandra signed With his second world title, a perfect and historic year to start thinking about saying goodbye, finally in Birmingham as he announced.
Meanwhile, the Olympic runner-up Damián Quintero took the silver in Birmingham also this Friday, after falling (26.60-26.26) in the final with the Japanese Kazumasa Moto. The man from Malaga won the first phase against the Venezuelan Antonio Díaz, the Swiss Yuki Matteo Ujihara and the Italian Mattia Busato, while in the semifinals he defeated the local Gakuji Tozaki.