Karateka Steven Da Costa became world champion for the third time on Saturday in Budapest. An individual hat-trick unprecedented in the French history of the discipline. In total, the French have six medals before the last day on Sunday.
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It’s not like there’s a shortage of charms. Olympic champion in 2021, triple European champion, Steven Da Costa is now triple World champion. After 2018 and 2021, the karateka from Mont-Saint-Martin (Meurthe-et-Moselle) won a third world crown, at only 26 years old. The opportunity to enter a little further into the history of karate by becoming the first French triple individual world champion.
He won in the final on Saturday October 28 against Montenegrin Nenad Dulovic in the under 67 kg category.
One more victory for the French and above all, a last defeat which is starting to date. We have to go back to March 19, 2016 in the Netherlands, or 7 and a half years, to find the trace of a defeat. Since this date, the counter shows 19 victories in finals in international events.
The French in gold and the French in bronze in Budapest
Another Frenchman distinguished himself during these World Karate Championships. Mehdi Filali was crowned in the over 84 kg category. A second international title for the Frenchman who already won on the roof of Europe in March, and who has had a perfect season.
For the record, the two French friends had already both been crowned European champions last March, on the same day. They achieve a remarkable Europe-World double in 2023.
Among the women, the harvest is just as pleasing: two bronze medals. The French Alizée Agier reports it in the under 68 kg category. And Laura Sivert won her first individual international medal in her under 61 kg category. Before the last day of competition on Sunday (team fights), France is the third nation in the medal standings, behind Egypt and Turkey.
Finally on the para-karate side, again the French clan signs two bronze medals. Nohan Dudon (visually impaired kata) and Virginie Boyer (wheelchair kata) opened the counter on Friday October 27.