Kiyou Shimizu
Seven straight Japan titles and two world kata crowns
- Born
- December 7, 1993, Osaka, Japan
- Nationality
Japan- Style
- Kata specialist
- Weight
- Kata
- Active
- 2013–2024
- Status
- Retired · age 32
The medals
Olympic silver (2020); 2 world titles
The story
iyou Shimizu from Osaka won Japan's national championship in 2013 as its youngest champion to that point, the first of seven titles in a row. She was world kata champion in 2014 and 2016 and won three straight Asian Games titles, and in 2017 the World Karate Federation noted she had not lost a bout in nearly six years of international competition. Her rivalry with Spain's Sandra Sánchez defined women's kata: Shimizu beat her in the 2017 World Games final, lost the 2018 world final 3-2 on flags when both performed Chatanyara Kushanku, and lost karate's first Olympic kata final at the Budokan by 0.18 points. She retired in May 2024 with a farewell demonstration in Amagasaki.
- World champion, kata (2014, 2016)
- Olympic silver, kata (2020)
- Asian Games champion, kata (2014, 2018, 2022)
- World Games champion, kata (2017)
- All Japan champion (7 in a row from 2013)
Defining matches
- 2014WINvs Sandy Scordo (World Championships kata final, Bremen)
- 2016WINvs Sarah Sayed (World Championships kata final, Linz)
- 2017WINvs Sandra Sánchez (World Games kata final, Wrocław, 4-1)
- 2018LOSSvs Sandra Sánchez (World Championships kata final, Madrid, 2-3)
- 2021LOSSvs Sandra Sánchez (Tokyo Olympic kata final, 27.88–28.06)
Master one signature kata for the biggest moment: Shimizu and Sánchez both chose Chatanyara Kushanku for the 2018 world final and it came down to a 3-2 split. Polish your best form until you can repeat it identically under pressure.
