Karate at the 2020 Summer Olympics

Karate
at the Games of the XXXII Olympiad
Pictograms for kata (left) and kumite (right)
VenueNippon Budokan
Dates5–7 August 2021
No. of events8
Competitors82 from 36 countries
(including 2  EOR athletes)

Karate was an event held in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. It was the debut appearance of karate at the Summer Olympics. Karate was one of four optional sports added to the Olympic program specifically for 2020,[1] rather than as a permanent sport.[2][3] After it was announced not to be included in 2024, in August 2022 it was announced that karate had made the shortlist for inclusion in the 2028 Games, although it was ultimately not selected.[4][5]

The karate competitions at the 2020 Olympics featured eight events.[6] Two karate disciplines were featured: kumite was the sparring discipline and had three weight classes each for men and women; kata was the solo form discipline, and had one event each for men and women. Competitors chose the kata to demonstrate from 102 kata that were recognized by the World Karate Federation. Competitors were not allowed to demonstrate the same kata twice during the tournament.[6] Each event had 10 competitors.

The three weight classes in Olympic competition for kumite were in contrast to the five normally used by the World Karate Federation (WKF). The two lightest (-60 kg and -67 kg for men, -50 kg and -55 kg for women) were combined into the Olympic categories of -67 kg for men and -55 kg for women. The middle categories (-75 kg men, -61 kg women) were unchanged, while the two heaviest categories (-84 kg and +84 kg for men, -68 kg and +68 kg for women) were combined into +75 kg for men and +61 kg for women.

  1. ^ "IOC approves five new sports for Olympic Games Tokyo 2020". International Olympic Committee. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  2. ^ "IOC Executive Board charts the course for future Olympic Games". International Olympic Committee. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  3. ^ "Breaking, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing provisionally included on Paris 2024 Olympic sports programme - Olympic News". International Olympic Committee. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  4. ^ "Motorsport, cricket and karate among nine sports on shortlist for Los Angeles 2028 inclusion". Inside the Games. 3 August 2022. Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  5. ^ "Los Angeles 2028 proposes five new sports for 2028 Summer Olympics". www.insidethegames.biz. 9 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Tokyo 2020: Karate". Retrieved 14 July 2018.