Almost four months after his Olympic coronation in Tokyo, Steven Da Costa retained his title of world karate champion in the under 67 kg category on Saturday, November 20, in Dubai.
In the final, the French, the first Olympic champion in the discipline, dominated the Macedonian Emil Pavlov 8-0 before the end of the three-minute fight, to clinch his second world title at the age of 24 after that of 2018.
After a long round of observation on Saturday, Da Costa placed three straightforward attacks (one waza ari and two ippons) within one minute of the end of the fight. He left no chance for the Macedonian, who changed category from less than 60 kilos (European champion 2014 and 2018) to less than 67 kilos.
Bronze for her twin brother Jessie Da Costa
Flag bearer of the French delegation during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Games this summer, Steven Da Costa continues to dominate his category, he who also has two European titles to his name in 2016 and 2019. A few minutes before stepping on the mat, Steven Da Costa was able to take advantage of the first world podium of his twin brother, Jessie, in bronze in the category of less than 84 kilos.
Star of the discipline, which entered the Olympic program this summer in Tokyo, Steven Da Costa was also one of those who most strongly defended, in vain, the presence of karate at the Paris Games in 2024. As an additional sport in Tokyo, karate was not retained for the 2024 Olympics by the organizing committee and the IOC, which chose surfing, climbing, skateboarding and breakdance.