W.A.K.O. World Championships 1991
| W.A.K.O. World Championships 1991 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Wako.jpg The poster for W.A.K.O. World Championships 1991 | ||||
| Promotion | W.A.K.O. | |||
| Date | October 12 (Start) October 13, 1991 (End) | |||
| Venue | Crystal Palace National Sports Centre | |||
| City | United Kingdom London, England, UK | |||
| Event chronology | ||||
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W.A.K.O. World Championships 1991 were the eight world kickboxing championships hosted by the W.A.K.O. organization. It was the third world championships to be held in London, involving amateur men and women from twenty-eight countries across the world. There were three styles on offer; Semi-Contact, Light-Contact and Musical Forms, and for the first time since Milan 1981, there would be no Full-Contact kickboxing competition at a W.A.K.O. world championships. Each country was allowed one competitor per weight division per category, although participants were allowed to participate in more than one category. By the end of the championships the USA were the top nation, just about pushing hosts Great Britain into second by virtue of their performance in Musical Forms, with Hungary in third. There was also a little bit of history made in London with the American Christine Bannon-Rodrigues being the first person to win three golds at a single championships, winning gold medals in Semi-Contact and Musical Forms (x2).[1] The event was held in London over two days at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in London, England, UK, starting on Saturday 12 October and finishing on Sunday 13 October 1991.[2]
Semi-Contact
Semi-Contact is a form of kickboxing in which fights were won by points given due to technique, skill and speed, with physical force limited - more information on Semi-Contact can be found on the W.A.K.O. website, although the rules will have changed since 1991.[3] The men had seven weight classes, starting at 57 kg/125.4 lbs and ending at over 84 kg/+184.8 lbs, while the women's competition had three weight classes beginning at 50 kg/110 lbs and ending at 60 kg/132 lbs. The most notable winner was Christine Bannon-Rodrigues who would also win two more golds in Musical Forms. By the end of the championships the hosts Great Britain were the strongest nation in Semi-Contact, winning three golds, three silvers and three bronzes across the male and female competitions.[4]
Men's Semi-Contact Kickboxing Medals Table
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| -57 kg | Cucci Italy | Preece United Kingdom | Marc Beaudry Canada Piotr Siegoczynski Poland |
| -63 kg | Martin Kilgus Germany | Joe Tierney United Kingdom | Giersthoven Netherlands Peter Gilpin Canada |
| -69 kg | Pedro Xavier United States | Yves Lalonde Canada | Thomas Pfaffl Germany Billy Bryce United Kingdom |
| -74 kg | Sergio Portaro Italy | Christopher Rappold United States | Lajos Hugyetz Hungary Stefan Martin Switzerland |
| -79 kg | Peter Edwards United Kingdom | Delaporte France | Jim Flood Canada Richard Barefield United States |
| -84 kg | Alfie Lewis United Kingdom | Bettini United Kingdom | Emanuel Bettencourt Cape Verde Zoltan Szucs Hungary |
| +84 kg | Andrew Boyce United Kingdom | Cruz Brazil | Barnabas Katona Hungary Valentini Italy |
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Women's Semi-Contact Kickboxing Medals Table
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| -50 kg | Karin Schiller Germany | Szepessi Hungary | Amanda Quansah United Kingdom Derita Canada |
| -55 kg | Christine Bannon-Rodrigues United States | Hugyetz Hungary | Deyta Turkey Manon Desrochers Canada |
| -60 kg | Carla Ribeiro Brazil | Stiegler Germany | Mirai Turkey Lawson United Kingdom |
Light-Contact
More physical than Semi-Contact but less so than Full-Contact, points were awarded and fights won on the basis of speed and technique over power, and it was seen as a transition stage for fighters who were considering a move from Semi to Full-Contact. More information on Light-Contact rules can be found of the W.A.K.O. website, although be aware that the rules may have changed since 1991.[5] For the first time ever at a W.A.K.O. world championships, both men and women were allowed to take part in Light-Contact, with the men having seven weight classes, starting at 57 kg/125.4 lbs and ending at over 84 kg/+184.8 lbs and the women's having four weight classes beginning at 50 kg/110 lbs and ending at over 60 kg/+132 lbs. The most notable medallist was Jeff Roufus who although he only gained a bronze would later having future success as a multiple pro world champion. By the end of the event, hosts Great Britain were the strongest country in Light-Contact winning four golds, one silver and two bronze medals.[6]
Men's Light-Contact Kickboxing Medals Table
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| -57 kg | Lantos Hungary | Jakob Jurgen Germany | Shawn Wheat United States Ind United Kingdom |
| -63 kg | Ivanov Commonwealth of Independent States | Charles Barron United States | Alan Johnson Republic of Ireland Peter Gilpin Canada |
| -69 kg | Evelyn Dwyer United Kingdom | David Wilson United States | Carvalho Portugal Drazdynski Poland |
| -74 kg | Lajos Hugyetz Hungary | Michael Wübke Germany | Alberto Montrond United States Dushkin Commonwealth of Independent States |
| -79 kg | George McKenzie United Kingdom | Jim Flood Canada | Bernd Reichenbach Germany Csaszar Hungary |
| -84 kg | Wilkinson United Kingdom | Zoltan Szucs Hungary | Donet France Adamson Nigeria |
| +84 kg | Barnabas Katona Hungary | Morozow Commonwealth of Independent States | Alan Reid United Kingdom Jeff Roufus United States |
Women's Light-Contact Kickboxing Medals Table
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| -50 kg | K. Leclerc France | Szepessi Hungary | Gabriel Damm Germany Neglia Italy |
| -55 kg | Stefania Proietti Italy | A. Joswig United Kingdom | Kathy Carchia United States Carson Nigeria |
| -60 kg | Agnieszka Rylik Poland | Gabriella Bady Hungary | Justina Hall United States Gilpin Canada |
| +60 kg | Bailey United Kingdom | Lisa Crosby United States | Sasse Germany Tunde Kocsis Hungary |
Forms
Musical Forms is a non-physical competition which sees the contestants fighting against imaginary foes using Martial Arts techniques - more information can be accessed on the W.A.K.O. website, although be aware that the rules may have changed since 1991.[7] For the first time ever, women were officially recognised in Musical Forms at a world championships, with the men having four styles and the women three. An explanation of the various styles is provided below:
- Hard Styles – coming from Karate and Taekwondo.
- Soft Styles – coming from Kung Fu and Wu-Sha.
- Hard Styles with Weapons – using weapons such as Kama, Sai, Tonfa, Nunchaku, Bo, Katana.
- Soft Styles with Weapons - Naginata, Nunchaku, Tai Chi Chuan Sword, Whip Chain.
Women were also allowed to use weapons but it was one separate category. The most notable winner was Christine Bannon-Rodrigues who claimed two gold medals in Soft Styles and Weapons to add to the gold she won in Semi-Contact to make history as the first person to win three golds at a single W.A.K.O. championships. The strongest nation in Musical Forms was the USA with five golds and two silver medals.[8]
Men's Musical Forms Medals Table
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soft Styles | Benjamin Jugwels Netherlands | Richard Brandon United States | Sforza Italy | |
| Hard Styles | Jean Frenette Canada | David Collins United States | Werner Stark Germany Lino Guarnaccia Italy | |
| Hard Styles with Weapons | Tony Orr United States | Jean Frenette Canada | Baba-Milis Republic of Ireland Ghorbani Morocco | |
| Soft Styles with Weapons | Richard Brandon United States | Sylvester Engelhart Netherlands | Mario Eismann Germany Sporka United States |
Women's Musical Forms Medals Table
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hard Styles | Patricia Lamoureux Canada | Ann Gregory United States | Caroline Suter Switzerland Alo Italy |
| Soft Styles | Christine Bannon-Rodrigues United States | Sherida Pattiwaellapia Netherlands | Austin United Kingdom Anzhenko Commonwealth of Independent States |
| Weapons | Christine Bannon-Rodrigues United States | Manon Desrochers Canada | Anzhenko Commonwealth of Independent States Austin United Kingdom |
Overall Medals Standing (Top 5)
| Ranking | Country | Gold Gold | Silver Silver | Bronze Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States USA | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| 2 | United Kingdom Great Britain | 7 | 4 | 7 |
| 3 | Hungary Hungary | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| 4 | Italy Italy | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 5 | Canada Canada | 2 | 4 | 6 |
See also
References
- ↑ "MASTER CHRISTINE BANNON-RODRIGUES (Biography)". www.karatekidzonline.com. Retrieved 2011-05-08.
- ↑ "8th WAKO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS" (PDF). www.wakoweb.com. Retrieved 2011-04-29.
- ↑ "Semi-Contact Rules" (PDF). www.wakoweb.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2011-04-29.
- ↑ "8th WAKO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (Men/Women Semi-Contact)" (PDF). www.wakoweb.com. Retrieved 2011-05-08.
- ↑ "WAKO Light-Contact Rules" (PDF). www.wakoweb.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2011-04-29.
- ↑ "8th WAKO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (Men/Women Light-Contact)" (PDF). www.wakoweb.com. Retrieved 2011-05-08.
- ↑ "WAKO Musical Forms Rules" (PDF). www.wakoweb.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2011-04-29.
- ↑ "8th WAKO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (Men/Women Forms)" (PDF). www.wakoweb.com. Retrieved 2011-05-08.