The 2023 Pan American Games featured a riveting karate competition at the Polideportivo Villa El Salvador, with the events running from November 3 to November 5. This gathering of martial arts talent showcased a total of 12 events, equally divided between male and female competitors, with 106 karatekas from 17 different nations.
Throughout the qualification phase, 96 athletes secured their participation through four rigorous qualification tournaments. An additional 10 athletes were granted entry as a nod to their victories at the 2021 Junior Pan American Games, underscoring the event’s commitment to fostering emerging talent.
In each individual karate event, nine athletes competed for the gold, with the exception of the individual kata category, which featured eight athletes due to the specific demands and standards of the discipline. Nations were limited to entering a maximum of 12 athletes, with only one competitor per individual event, ensuring a diverse representation of countries. This rule was relaxed for the winners of the 2021 Junior Pan American Games, providing these skilled individuals with the opportunity to compete among the senior ranks.
Chile, enjoying the advantage of being the host nation, automatically qualified the maximum quota of 12 athletes, ensuring the local fans had a full roster of Chilean competitors to support.
Table of medals
| Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Venezuela | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Chile | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| Brazil | 2 | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| Colombia | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Ecuador | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Mexico | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Puerto Rico | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Argentina | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Dominican Republic | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Canada | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Cuba | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Peru | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Aruba | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Panama | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| El Salvador | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Independent Athletes Team | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Full results of competition
Certainly! Here’s the complete table of results:
| Event | Medal | Athlete | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male Kata | Gold | Ariel Torres | United States |
| Silver | Cleiver Casanova | Venezuela | |
| Bronze | Luca Impagnatiello | Argentina | |
| Bronze | Larry Aracena | Dominican Republic | |
| Kumite Male -60 Kg | Gold | Enrique Villalón | Chile |
| Silver | Brayan Díaz | Cuba | |
| Bronze | Douglas Brose | Brazil | |
| Bronze | Juan Fernández | Colombia | |
| Kumite Male -67 Kg | Gold | Madera Delgado Andres Eduardo | Venezuela |
| Silver | Freire Fuentes Tomás Lisandro | Chile | |
| Bronze | Velozo Zúñiga Camilo Esteban | Chile | |
| Bronze | Gálvez Ortega Alberto | Panama | |
| Kumite Male -75 Kg | Gold | Scott Thomas | United States |
| Silver | Villarreal Avila Carlos Julian | Mexico | |
| Bronze | Maldonado Cruz Allan David | Independent Athletes Team | |
| Bronze | Landazuri Avenia Juan Felipe | Colombia | |
| Kumite Male -84 Kg | Gold | José Acevedo | Ecuador |
| Silver | Rubén Henao | Colombia | |
| Bronze | Saisheren Senpon | United States | |
| Bronze | Jorge Merino | El Salvador | |
| Kumite Male +84 Kg | Gold | Rodrigo Rojas | Chile |
| Silver | Lucas Fernandes | Brazil | |
| Bronze | Rob Timmermans | Aruba | |
| Bronze | Giovani Salgado | Brazil | |
| Female Kata | Gold | Sakura Kokumai | United States |
| Silver | Valentina Zapata | Colombia | |
| Bronze | Claudia Laos-Loo | Canada | |
| Bronze | Andrea Armada | Venezuela | |
| Kumite Female -50 Kg | Gold | Yorgelis Salazar | Venezuela |
| Silver | Yamina Lahyanssa | Canada | |
| Bronze | Bárbara Morales | Independent Athletes Team | |
| Bronze | Yamila Benítez | Argentina | |
| Kumite Female -55 Kg | Gold | Valentina Toro | Chile |
| Silver | Baurelys Torres | Cuba | |
| Bronze | Kelly Fernandes | Brazil | |
| Bronze | Geraldine Peña | Colombia | |
| Kumite Female -61 Kg | Gold | Janessa Fonseca | Puerto Rico |
| Silver | Alexandra Grande | Peru | |
| Bronze | Claudymar Garcés | Venezuela | |
| Bronze | María Renée Wong | Independent Athletes Team | |
| Kumite Female -68 Kg | Gold | Rodrigues Barbara Hellen | Brazil |
| Silver | Mosquera Riascos Wendy Mariy Ann | Colombia | |
| Bronze | Bratic Melissa | Canada | |
| Bronze | Lingl Skylar | United States | |
| Kumite Female +68 Kg | Gold | Guadalupe Quintal | Mexico |
| Silver | Valeria Echever | Ecuador | |
| Bronze | Pamela Rodríguez | Dominican Republic | |
| Bronze | Brenda Padilha | Brazil |
This table represents the athletes who achieved success in the various karate events at the 2023 Pan American Games, highlighting their respective countries and the medals they won.
The 20th edition of the Pan American Games is set to take place in Barranquilla, Colombia, from July 2 to July 18, 2027. This will mark a significant event for the city and the nation as they welcome athletes from 41 different countries across the Americas. The games will be officially opened by the President of Colombia and will feature the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez as the main venue