About Ryo Kiyuna


Ryo Kiyuna born 12 July 1990 is a Japanese karateka. He won the gold medal in the men's kata event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.He is also a three-time gold medalist in the men's kata event at the World Karate Championships and a two-time gold medalist in the men's team kata event, alongside Arata Kinjo and Takuya Uemura. He is also a four-time gold medalist in both the individual and team kata events at the Asian Karate Championships.

Career

In 2012, at the 2012 World Karate Championships held in Paris, France, he won one of the bronze medals in the men's individual kata event. The following year, he represented Japan at the 2013 World Games in Cali, Colombia and he won the bronze medal in the men's kata event.

In 2014, at the 2014 World Karate Championships held in Bremen, Germany, he won the gold medal in the men's individual kata event.At the 2016 World Karate Championships held in Linz, Austria, he won the gold medal in both the men's individual and men's team kata events. In 2017, he won the gold medal in the men's kata event at the 2017 World Games held in Wrocław, Poland.

At the 2018 Asian Karate Championships held in Amman, Jordan, he won the gold medal in the men's kata event. A month later, he won the gold medal in the men's kata event at the 2018 Asian Games held in Jakarta, Indonesia. In 2019, at the 2019 Asian Karate Championships held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, he won the gold medal in both the men's individual kata and men's team kata events.

He represented Japan at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. He won the gold medal in the men's kata event,becoming Japan's first gold medalist from Okinawa.


Personal life


                     photo: essentiallysport

Kiyuna's mother died in 2019 at the age of 57. At the gold medal ceremony for kata at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Kiyuna paid tribute to his mother's support by carrying a framed picture of her during the proceedings.