Rafael Mahir Aghayev (Azerbaijani: Rafael Ağayev; born March 4, 1985, in Sumgait, Azerbaijan is an Azerbaijani karateka. He won the silver medal in the men's kumite 75 kg division at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. He is a five-time world champion, and eleven-time European champion in his discipline. Aghayev is currently signed by Karate Combat and is the reigning welterweight champion in the promotion with a record of 5-0.
Victor John-Charles is a British karateka. He has an 8th Dan black belt in karate and is the winner of multiple individual and team medals at the World Championship, World Games and European Karate Championships. Vic Charles came 3rd in 1983 television competition Superstars. Vic Charles was awarded an MBE for Services to karate in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 1989. This was the first time the sport of karate had been acknowledged in such a fashion. On retiring from competitive karate in 1990 Vic continued as chief instructor of British Sport Karate Association (B.S.K.A.) the Association he established in 1985. The Association dominated English karate competitions and won 2 European Club Team titles. The association counted 3 World and European Champions as members Mervyn Etienne, Mike Sailsman, and Willie Thomas. Vic was appointed English national coach in 1996 and became technical manager of the Performance Plan in 1997 until 1999. He was a member of the board of Karate England until 1999.
Molly Irene Samuel-Leport MBE is a British karateka, community leader and political candidate. She has a 6th Dan black belt in karate and is the winner of multiple European Karate Championships. Samuel-Leport received the 1989 Sunday Times International Sports Woman of the Year and 1987 Jamaican Jubilee Award for Excellence.
Dominique Valera is a French kickboxer and karateka, based in Lyon. He has a 9th Dan black belt in karate and is the winner of multiple European Karate Championships. Since retiring from competitive karate Dominique Valera has starred in French movies such as Let Sleeping Cops Lie.
Junior Lefevre is a Belgian-Croatian karateka. He has a 6th Dan black belt in karate and is the winner of multiple World Karate Championships and European Karate Championships medals, representing both Croatia and Belgium at tournaments. He is also chairman of C.I.K.A world.
Guusje Steenhuis is a Dutch judoka. She won the bronze medal in the 78 kg event at the 2015 European Games in Baku. She is the four-time silver medalist of European Judo Championships in the 78 kg division. She competed in the women's 78 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
Meltem Hocaoğlu Akyol is a Turkish karateka competing in the kumite +68 kg division.
Bahman Asgari Ghoncheh is an Iranian karateka athlete who won a gold medal at the 2018 World Karate Championships and at the 2018 Asian Games.
Karin Prinsloo is a South African karateka, gold medal winner of the 6th World Games (2001) in the under 60 kg Kumite category and Karate instructor formerly based in Durban, South Africa, now living in Perth, Australia. She is listed among the top Karate competitors of all time.
Bettina Plank is an Austrian karateka. She won one of the bronze medals in the women's 55 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. She is a two-time bronze medalist in the women's 50 kg event at the World Karate Championships and a three-time medalist, including two gold medals, at the European Games.
Irina Zaretska is a Ukrainian and Azerbaijani karateka. She won the silver medal in the women's +61 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan. She is a three-time gold medalist in the women's 68 kg event at the World Karate Championships. Zaretska is also a two-time gold medalist in this event at the Islamic Solidarity Games and the European Games.
Elena Quirici is a Swiss karateka. She is a two-time medalist at the World Karate Championships and a seven-time medalist, including four golds, at the European Karate Championships.
Merve Çoban is a Turkish karateka. She won the bronze medal in the 61 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. She is also a gold medalist and a two-time silver medalist in the women's kumite 61 kg event at the European Karate Championships.
Silvia Semeraro is an Italian karateka. She won the gold medal in the women's kumite 68 kg event at the 2022 World Games held in Birmingham, United States. Semeraro also won the gold medal in the same event at the 2019 European Games held in Minsk, Belarus. She won the silver medal in the women's 68 kg event at the 2021 World Karate Championships held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Alexandra Recchia is a French karateka. She is a two-time gold medalist in the women's kumite 50 kg event at the World Karate Championships and a two-time gold medalist in this event at the European Karate Championships.
Emily Thouy is a French karateka. She became world champion in the women's kumite 55 kg event at the 2016 World Karate Championships held in Linz, Austria.
Alisa Theresa Buchinger is an Austrian karateka. She won the gold medal in the women's kumite 68 kg at the 2016 World Karate Championships in Linz, Austria. She is also a two-time gold medalist in this event at the European Karate Championships, both in 2015 and in 2017.
Jennifer Warling is a karateka from Luxembourg. She is a three-time medalist, including gold, in the women's kumite 55 kg event at the European Karate Championships. She is also a two-time bronze medalist in her event at the European Games.
Alizée Agier is a French karateka. She won the gold medal in the women's kumite 68 kg event at the 2014 World Karate Championships held in Bremen, Germany. She also won the gold medal in this event at the 2019 European Karate Championships held in Guadalajara, Spain.
Douglas Santos Brose is a Brazilian karateka. He is a three-time gold medalist in the men's kumite 60 kg event at the World Karate Championships. He also won the gold medal in the 2009 World Games, the 2015 Pan American Games, as well as being an eight-time Pan American Karate Championships champion.
