Although she didn’t have high expectations at first, Ukrainian representative Anzhelika Terliuga managed to reach the top of the karate world. She started her career as a hobby, but as the years passed, her interest grew. She began taking karate more seriously at the age of 14 and after 15 years of hard working she won a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021.
„I love karate because it’s a part of my life. I met my husband because of karate. You can also meet many true friends who will always support you, and you can also make many friends from abroad. Of course, there are also trips, but above all, I love winning.“
Number one in the world ranking in -55 kg was preparing for the upcoming European Championships in the USA with her coach Denys Morozov, with whom she won the Olympic silver, but she will also do part of the preparation in Ukraine with her husband and the national team. Five time European -55 kg champion and defending European champion is coming to Zadar with a lot of optimism.
„At the European Championship, I want to show my maximum and enjoy it. I want to defend the gold, and I will try to fight as best as I can. I am prepared, and I am truly focused on Zadar. I don’t have any special tactic.; I want to show the usual aggression, strikes, and new moves that I have prepared.“
The title of champion, as she herself says, is harder to defend than when you first win it, but it is one of the ways to become the best of the best.
Will Anzhelika defend her European title we will find out in the couple of days, as she hopes to arrive in Zadar healthy and ready to win another gold medal.