Iran wins karate gold at Tokyo Olympics
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ran's Sajad Ganjzadeh was taken out on a stretcher, but won gold after being on the receiving end of an illegal kick in the over-75 kg gold medal match. Vincent Thian/AP
ESPN- Associated Press-Aug 7, 2021
Iran’s Sajad Ganjzadeh wins karate gold at Tokyo Olympics despite being stretchered off the mat
TOKYO — The final bout of karate’s Olympic debut seemed to have everything that makes combat sports so fascinating, right down to an incredible ending that should have made fans hungry for more martial art fighting for a place on future Olympic programs.
Instead, the gold-medal match in men’s over-75 kilogram Kumite ended with a messy, confusing penalty for a kick that was apparently too spectacular for karate.
Established champion Sajad Ganjzadeh faced up-and-coming star Tareg Hamedi for a gold medal at the iconic Budokan. The karatekas even represented Iran and Saudi Arabia, two nations with an extraordinarily complex history.
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