(Photo WKF)
The 2026 Karate One Series A season ended in Salzburg, Austria, with four more champions crowned on the final day of competition. Monica Arzumian, Iryna Zaretska, Riku Tsuruta and Stanislav Horuna took the last titles of the season in a strong celebration of karate’s global reach.
Monica Arzumian Claims -61kg Title
Monica Arzumian of France won the Female Kumite -61kg category after defeating Germany’s Mia Bitsch 5-1 in the final. Arzumian controlled the bout and secured a clear victory to take the final Series A title of the season in the category.
Iryna Zaretska Wins Close -68kg Final
Iryna Zaretska of Azerbaijan claimed gold in Female Kumite -68kg after a tight final against Guinea’s Anne-Coralie Keita. Zaretska edged the contest 2-1 to complete her run to the top of the podium.
Riku Tsuruta Takes -75kg Gold
Riku Tsuruta of Japan produced the highest-scoring final of the day in Male Kumite -75kg. He defeated Armenia’s Suren Harutyunyan 6-5 in a close contest that went down to the final exchanges. The Japanese athlete held on to secure the title.
Stanislav Horuna Wins Ukrainian Final
Stanislav Horuna of Ukraine was crowned champion in Male Kumite -84kg after an all-Ukrainian final against Valerii Sonnykh. The bout ended 0-0, with Horuna awarded the victory by hantei, the judges’ decision used to determine the winner when the score is level. Horuna achieved one more accolade in his outstanding career.
