“The tension is increasing, we want to give everything and extend our impressive World Cup series with at least one medal since 2014,” says Kumite national coach Manfred Eppenschwandtner from Salzburg before the Karate World Championships in Dubai that begin on Tuesday.

Two medal contenders from Salzburg

Austria relies on four medal contenders, namely ex-world champion Alisa Buchinger (-68 kg), the Olympic bronze medalist Bettina Plank (-50 kg), the women’s Kumite team and the triple EM medalist Stefan Pokorny (-67kg).

“Alisa Buchinger is the great mystery of the title fights”, this is how the Salzburg woman is described in the press release of the Austrian Karate Federation.

Medal in the back of Buchinger’s head

Since she missed the Olympic qualification on June 11 in Paris, the 2016 world champion has not entered a competition. The 29-year-old was initially in a deep mental hole in the summer, then came the cancellation of the Premier League in Moscow. A corona disease – despite two vaccinations – had thrown Buchinger off course again.

Private / Buchinger

Buchinger’s last chance – mom as a lucky charm

At the karate world championship, Austria’s figurehead Alisa Buchinger will take the last chance at a major event and spruce up her collection of medals again. Should help …

“I played around with the idea of ​​resigning because I couldn’t digest it well with the Olympics. The summer months in particular were really tough,” said the 29-year-old in an interview with SALZBURG24 (see video below).

The lack of training and the lack of competition practice had to make up for the 68-kilo fighter at the training camp on Gran Canaria: “I’m ready for a good tournament, but don’t put any pressure on myself and dream of a medal in the back of my mind.” Mom should help Barbara, who traveled to Dubai with a friend of Alisa as a lucky charm. Buchinger, number eight in the world, meets Ceyco Georgia Zafanye, number 48 in the world from Indonesia.

You can always count on Pokorny

Another hope from Salzburg is Stefan Pokorny. With three bronze medals in a row, he proved that he is one of the world’s best in the -67 kg class. “I can beat anyone. I’m looking forward to the World Cup, anything is possible. I just hope that the referees see and evaluate our actions,” said Pokorny, who like Buchinger is about to hold his sixth World Cup. Only four weeks ago he was able to show again with a Premier League bronze in Moscow. Incidentally, the 30-year-old achieved his best World Cup result at the 2012 World Cup in Paris with fifth place.

World number ten will face Declan Squire in Wednesday’s qualification.

SALZBURG24 / ANDONOV

Plank has the medal guarantee

From an Austrian point of view, Bettina Plank is also one of the absolute top athletes. In the past five years she has guaranteed medals, won bronze at the 2016 World Championships in Linz and 2018 in Madrid, as well as gold at the European Games 2018, two European silver medals and also Olympic bronze in Tokyo.

The 29-year-old has very fond memories of Dubai, having won the Premier League twice in the Emirates and most recently, shortly before the first lockdown, took bronze in 2020. The 29-year-old just has to get used to a different hall: The World Cup is in Hamdan Sports Complex with a capacity of 15,000 spectators. “However, after the long season I am totally at the limit, but I will give everything again”, promise the karate-do catfish fighter.

Women’s team hopes for a mega coup

The women’s kumite team with Buchinger, Plank and U21 European champion Lora Ziller (+68 kg) and U18 world champion Marina Vukovic (-68 kg) is well mixed in terms of weight classes and therefore extremely balanced. At the camp on Gran Canaria, the women got their final World Cup polish with national coaches Juan Luis Benitez Cardenes and Manfred Eppenschwandtner. At the last World Cup in Madrid, the team reached the quarter-finals and this year in a mega-coup.

The men’s kumite squad is completed by the Tennengau twins Luca (-75 kg) and Robin Rettenbacher (-84 kg), who can be expected to have many surprises. Luca (number 18 in the world) has to deal with a winner of the preliminary round duel. His twin brother started against the Latvian Sadikovs, who was 67 places lower.

In the kata area, Kristin Wieninger is one of the most established in the 2016 World Cup, despite being just 23 years old. Patrick Valet, on the other hand, is a clear outsider.

(Source: SALZBURG24)