The sole representative of Ukraine at the 2025 World Karate Championship, Karina Ayrapetyan, won a silver medal in the parakarate competition. The Lviv native, who competed in the K30 category – wheelchair kata among women, confidently passed all stages to the final, where she met the host of the tournament. This was reported by the Ukrainian Karate Federation, writes UNN.
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In the decisive match, the judges awarded the victory to Egypt's Fatima Mahmoud, although, as noted by the Ukrainian Karate Federation, this decision was at least controversial, given the performances of both athletes.
The Karate Federation stated that this silver medal is another victory in the brilliant career of the 33-year-old athlete. Karina Ayrapetyan (or Knarik) started practicing karate in 2015, seven years after suffering a severe spinal injury that confined her to a wheelchair. Already in 2016, just nine months after training, she sensationally became a world champion.
I really like sports, movement, and I got into karate. And when I saw that I was good at something, I wanted to take up parakarate seriously. It's already a way of life. It's close to my spirit. I enjoy what I do
During her career, Master of Sports of International Class Karina Ayrapetyan has repeatedly won awards at major tournaments, including silver medals at European championships and medals at world championships. Despite her injury, she also started a family, gave birth to a child, and even engaged in modeling, demonstrating an unbreakable spirit.