The current European -75 kg champion, bronze medallist from the Budapest World Championships, winner of the European Games, and the fourth-ranked in the world in his category. This is the story of Andrii Zaplitnyi, Ukrainian who started his karate journey at the age of seven. Although, as he himself says, he didn’t have much success in his younger years, persistence and stubbornness brought him to the top of the world already at the age of 22.
„Karate develops self-discipline, which is what I enjoy the most. I believe one should always strive to become the best version of themselves. I have always been grateful to my family and team, who are a great support to me.“
He highlights keeping a cool head in fights as his greatest strengths, as well as excellent understanding of situations. He says he doesn’t stress during fights, but enjoys them, and has a special ritual before them.
„My usual ritual involves weight training. The goal is to showcase the true beauty of karate, as it is truly an amazing sport. Karate is my life, and I feel great when I’m on the tatami, so I want to make the most of it.“
At the European Championships in Zadar, Andrii will not only compete in the -75 kg category, but he will also try to defend the gold with the Ukrainian national team.