Egypt's Feryal wins gold medal in women's +61kg kumite

Gulf Today Report

Feryal Abdelaziz of Egypt has clinched the first Olympic karate gold medal in women’s over-61 kilogramme kumite, beating Azerbaijan’s Iryna Zaretska.

This is Egypt’s second Olympic gold medal since 1948.

The 22-year-old Abdelaziz went ahead on a yuko with 28 seconds left in a cagey final bout. She scored again three seconds later and hung on for a 2:0 victory celebrated with a primal scream.

Feryal Abdelaziz reacts in Tokyo. Reuters

Egypt has been competing at the Olympics since 1912, but Greco-Roman wrestler Karem Gaber’s gold in Athens in 2004 was the nation’s only other gold in the past 73 years.