Feryal Abdelaziz
Personal information
Full nameFeryal Ashraf Abdelaziz
Born (1999-02-16) 16 February 1999 (age 25)
Cairo, Egypt
Sport
CountryEgypt
SportKarate
EventKumite
Medal record
Women's karate
Representing  Egypt
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Kumite +61 kg
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2021 Dubai Team kumite
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Madrid Team kumite
African Games
Silver medal – second place 2019 Rabat Kumite 68 kg
Mediterranean Games
Gold medal – first place 2022 Oran Kumite 68 kg

Feryal Ashraf Abdelaziz (born 16 February 1999)[1] is an Egyptian karateka and the first female Egyptian to have won a gold medal at the Olympic Games.[2] She won the gold medal in the women's +61 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan.[3][4][5]

Life

She was born in 1999 and when she was seven she took up karate in Cairo.[6] In her education she studied at The British University in Egypt and trained to become a pharmacist.[2]

She won one of the bronze medals in her event at the 2019 African Karate Championships held in Gaborone, Botswana.[7] She represented Egypt at the African Games held in Rabat, Morocco and she won the silver medal in the women's kumite 68 kg event.[8][9]

In June 2021, she qualified at the World Olympic Qualification Tournament held in Paris, France to compete at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.[10][11]

Her first match was against the Chinese Gong Li which she won 4:0.[12] Gong Li was to progress further and take a bronze medal.[13] Abdelaziz's second match was with Elena Quirici and she took an early lead against the Swiss opponent but Quirici levelled the score and Abdelaziz only prevailed because of senshu as she had been awarded the contest's first unopposed score. Abdelaziz then lost a match to an Iranian before a scoreless draw with Algerian Lamya Matoub allowed her to proceed to the semi-finals.[12]

She beat Sofya Berultseva of Kazakhstan, 5:4, to claim a place in the gold medal event against Azerbaijan's Irina Zaretska.[6] Berultseva would be guaranteed a bronze medal as peculiarly karate does not have a third place play-off match and the losing semi finalists both get a bronze medal.[12] Abdelaziz beat her opponent in the final 2:0 to gain the gold medal and Zaretska took the silver on 7 August.[6]

Abdelaziz and Giana Farouk were the only competitors to win a medal for Egypt in karate at the 2020 Summer Olympics. Karate will not feature in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.[6] Farouk won one of the bronze medals in the women's 61 kg event the day before.[6] Abdelaziz was the first female Egyptian to have won a gold medal at any Olympic Games.[2]

In November 2021, she won the gold medal in the women's team kumite event at the 2021 World Karate Championships held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.[14][15] She also competed in the women's 68 kg event.[14]

She won the gold medal in the women's 68 kg event at the 2022 Mediterranean Games held in Oran, Algeria.[16][17] In the final, she defeated Silvia Semeraro of Italy.[16][18]

Achievements

Year Competition Venue Rank Event
2018 World Championships Madrid, Spain 3rd Team kumite
2019 African Games Rabat, Morocco 2nd Kumite 68 kg
2021 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 1st Kumite +61 kg
World Championships Dubai, United Arab Emirates 1st Team kumite
2022 Mediterranean Games Oran, Algeria 1st Kumite 68 kg

References

  1. ^ "Entry List by NOC" (PDF). 2022 Mediterranean Games. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Ayoubi, Nur (7 August 2021). "Tokyo Olympics: Feryal Abdelaziz becomes first Egyptian woman to win gold".
  3. ^ "Tokyo Olympics: Karate - the one-Games wonder that delivered on drama and emotion". BBC Sport. 8 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Karate Results Book" (PDF). 2020 Summer Olympics. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  5. ^ "ABDELAZIZ Feryal". Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 7 August 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Feryal Abdelaziz Wins Historic GOLD for Egypt at Tokyo 2020 Olympics | Egyptian Streets". 7 August 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  7. ^ "2019 African Karate Championships Results Book" (PDF). sportdata.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 March 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  8. ^ Etchells, Daniel (28 August 2019). "Morocco confirm status as major karate powerhouse at African Games". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  9. ^ "Karate Results" (PDF). 2019 African Games. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 April 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  10. ^ Berkeley, Geoff (13 June 2021). "Gaysinsky among last six karateka to qualify for Tokyo 2020 after Canada protest". Inside the Games. Dunsar Media. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  11. ^ "2021 Karate World Olympic Qualification Tournament Results Book" (PDF). World Karate Federation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 June 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  12. ^ a b c "Feryal Abdelaziz reaches karate final to guarantee another Tokyo 2020 medal for Egypt". Arab News. 7 August 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  13. ^ "GONG Li". Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  14. ^ a b "2021 World Karate Championships Results Book" (PDF). World Karate Federation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  15. ^ Morgan, Liam (21 November 2021). "Egypt dethrone France as Japan sweep kata titles at Karate World Championships". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  16. ^ a b Houston, Michael (27 June 2022). "Karate victories give Egypt first gold medals of Mediterranean Games". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  17. ^ "Two golds for Egypt on final day of Karate at Mediterranean Games". World Karate Federation. 28 June 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  18. ^ "Karate Results Book" (PDF). 2022 Mediterranean Games. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.

External links

Olympic Karate Kumite Champions – Women's
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