2020 Senior Team Trials Event Recap
Colorado Springs, CO
January 18
The top USA karate athletes traveled to Colorado Springs to compete for their spot on the 2020 Senior National Team. This year marks a historical and exciting time for karate with its debut in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games this August.
The athlete who claims first in their division will travel to the World Championships in Dubai this November. Those who place in first and second in their division will travel to the Senior Pan American Championships in Costa Rica this May. Lastly, athletes must place in the top four of their division for a chance to compete later in the day for a spot in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Qualifier in Paris. While several athletes have already secured their spot for the qualifier, the Female Elite -55kg, Female Elite -61kg, Female Elite +61kg, and Male Elite -67kg divisions are all up for grabs.
Here are the results for the 2020 Senior Team Trials:
Male Elite Kata:
First Seat – Gakuji Tozaki
Second Seat – Ariel Torres
Male Elite Kumite -60KG
First Seat – Dany Cabello
Second Seat – Riki Osako
Male Elite Kumite -67KG
First Seat – Brian Ramrup
Second Seat – Josue Hernandez
Male Elite Kumite -75KG
First Seat – Tom Scott
Second Seat – Jared Smith
Male Elite Kumite -84KG
First Seat – Kamran Madani
Second Seat – Maximillian Segal
Male Elite Kumite +84KG
First Seat – Brian Irr
Second Seat – Davoud Ashrafian Jazi
Female Elite Kata
First Seat – Sakura Kokumai
Second Seat – Jessica Kwong
Female Elite Kumite -50KG
First Seat – Tyler Hudson
Second Seat – Eva Alexander
Female Elite Kumite -55KG
First Seat – Trinity Allen
Second Seat – Jenna Brown
Female Elite Kumite -61KG
First Seat – Elisa Au
Second Seat – Ashley Hill
Female Elite -68KG
First Seat – Skylar Lingl
Second Seat – Ashley Davis
Female Elite Kumite +68
First Seat – Cirrus Lingl
Second Seat – Maya Wasowicz
After a brief recess, athletes returned to the mats to fight for the last spots to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Qualifier in Paris in May 2020.
Per the USOPC/USANKF selection procedures, Ariel Torres (Male Kata), Sakura Kokumai (Female Kata), Tom Scott (-75KG), and Brian Irr (+75KG) secured their spots for the Qualifier with their top 12 World Ranking as of January 1, 2020.
The combined weight divisions for Female Elite Kumite competed first with the top four athletes in both categories from the morning team trials in the pool. The -50kg and -55kg divisions included Tyler Hudson, Eva Alexander, Gia Mazza, Samantha Gant, Trinity Allen, Jenna Brown, Brandi Robinson, and Mackenzy Fields. They all battled it out in a double-elimination bracket, where Trinity Allen claimed the spot for Paris.
Next, the top four athletes from the Female Elite Kumite -68kg and +68kg divisions fought for the spot in the +61kg category. Ashley Davis, Kiera MacKenzie, Cheryl Murphy, Cirrus Lingl, Taylor Wood, Maya Wasowicz, Skylar Lingl, and Christy Dey all took the mat, but it was Cirrus Lingl who claimed victory.
With no combined divisions making up the -61KG category, Elisa Au secured her spot with her first-place finish in the morning team trials.
Female Elite Kumite -55KG
Trinity Allen
Female Elite Kumite -61KG
Elisa Au
Female Elite Kumite +61KG
Cirrus Lingl
Moving into Male Elite Kumite, the +84kg and -84kg divisions competed for the alternate spot in the +75kg category. This included Braden Ivey, Eric Jones, Kamran Madani, Logan Witte, Davoud Ashrafian Jazi, Benjamin Harrison, and Maximillian Segal. In the end, it was Kamran Madani who was victorious.
Lastly, the Male Elite Kumite -67KG division encompassed the top four athletes from both the -60kg and -67kg divisions to fight for the final spot among their fellow athletes. Dany Cabello, Brian Hilliard, Josue Hernandez, Riki Osako, Brian Ramrup, Elvis Ramic, Kenneth McLymore, and Alex Jinesta all battled it out until finally, Brian Hilliard secured his spot for Paris.
Male Elite Kumite -67KG
Brian Hilliard
Check out KRDO's coverage of the 2020 Senior Team Trials:
For more information about Olympic qualification and selection procedures, check out our website:
https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Karate/Senior-National-Team/Olympic-Games
Meet our 2020 Senior National Team!
https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Karate/Athlete-Bios/Senior-Team-Bios
