Odesa Karate Athletes Shine at European Championships
Odesa athletes secured five medals at the European Karate Championship, which took place from February 6 to 8 in Limassol, Cyprus.
Approximately 1200 competitors from 40 European countries participated in the event.
The athletes from Odesa's youth sports schools and the All-Ukrainian Karate Federation showcased impressive performances.
Maxim Vechkanov from KDYUSSH No. 15 became the new European champion. This marks Maxim's third medal at the youth European Championship, having previously won gold in 2025 and silver in 2024 among cadets.
Hanna Maistreko from KDYUSSH No. 15 earned a silver medal.
Other silver medalists included Vladislav Rudenko from KDYUSSH No. 16, Serhiy Stankov (SK “Legion”), and Ulyana Baranova (SK “Okinawa”), who achieved this honor for the second time. In 2024, Serhiy won gold among cadets, while Ulyana and Vladislav took bronze among juniors in 2025.
Maxim Vechkanov and Ulyana Baranova immediately headed to Fujairah (UAE) after the championship to participate in the global karate league.
The athletes were coached by Volodymyr Zaretskyi, Oleksiy Konovalov, and instructors: Volodymyr Holoveshko, Dmytro Negaturov, Denys Sustretov, Orkhan Yusifov, and Ruslan Khomutenko.
