Yıldız Aras

Yıldız Aras
Born	(1977-11-10) November 10, 1977 Istanbul, Turkey
Residence	Istanbul
Nationality	Turkish
Division	+60 kg, open
Style	Karate Kumite
Team	Kocaeli Büyükşehir Belediyesi Kağıt Spor Kulübü
Rank	3rd, 1st (open)
University	Marmara University
Medal record Women's karate Representing Turkey World Championships Gold medal – first place 2006 Tampere open Gold medal – first place 2004 Monterrey team Gold medal – first place 2002 Madrid team Gold medal – first place 2000 Munich open Bronze medal – third place 1998 Rio de Janeiro open Gold medal – first place 1998 Rio de Janeiro team World Games Gold medal – first place 2005 Duisburg open World Cup Bronze medal – third place 1997 Manila open European Championships Gold medal – first place 2009 Zagreb +68kg Bronze medal – third place 2008 Tallinn +60kg Bronze medal – third place 2008 Tallinn open Gold medal – first place 2007 Bratislava +60kg Bronze medal – third place 2007 Bratislava open Silver medal – second place 2006 Stavanger +60kg Silver medal – second place 2006 Stavanger open Gold medal – first place 2005 Tenerife +60kg Bronze medal – third place 2005 Tenerife open Gold medal – first place 2004 Moscow open Gold medal – first place 2004 Moscow team Gold medal – first place 2003 Bremen +60kg Bronze medal – third place 2003 Bremen open Gold medal – first place 2002 Tallinn open Gold medal – first place 2001 Sofia team Gold medal – first place 2000 Istanbul open Bronze medal – third place 2000 Istanbul team Gold medal – first place 1999 Euboea team Bronze medal – third place 1998 Belgrade team Bronze medal – third place 1997 Santa Cruz de Tenerife team Bronze medal – third place 1996 Paris open Mediterranean Games Silver medal – second place 2005 Almeria +65kg Gold medal – first place 2005 Almeria open Gold medal – first place 2001 Tunis open Gold medal – first place 1997 Bari open World University Karate Championships Silver medal – second place 2000 Kyoto +60kg Bronze medal – third place 2000 Kyoto team European Cadet & Junior Championships Gold medal – first place 1997 Greece +60kg

Yıldız Aras (born November 10, 1977, in Istanbul, Turkey) is a Turkish karateka competing in the kumite +60 kg and open divisions. Aras is member of the Kocaeli Büyükşehir Belediyesi Kağıt Spor Kulübü Karate team. As of May 2009, she is world's best in women's kumite open division.

Personal life

She was born as the fifth daughter to her father from Kars / Arpaçay and to her mother from Sivas /zara. She is a graduate of the School of Physical Education and Sports at the Marmara University in Istanbul.

Sports career

Inspired from the TV films depicting martial arts that became very popular in Turkey in the late 1980s, she entered in 1987, at the age of only 10, into a karate course in her neighborhood. She became a member of the Ersoy Çırlar Sport Club. Her first trainer was Yüksel Baltay, a former national karateka. Aras was admitted to the national team in 1994. She has been nicknamed by foreign sportspeople as the "Strong Girl". Holding three world champion titles, seven European champion titles, and three Mediterranean Games champion titles, she is the most successful Turkish sportsperson ever, but without any Olympic medal, since karate is not an acknowledged discipline at the Olympic Games.

Achievements

Individual

2009

• 44th European Championships in Zagreb, Croatia – May 8–10 – kumite +68 kg File:Gold medal icon.svg

2008

• 43rd European Championships in Tallinn, Estonia – May 2–4 – kumite +60 kg File:Bronze medal icon.svg, kumite open File:Bronze medal icon.svg

2007

• 42nd European Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia – May 4–6 – kumite +60 kg File:Gold medal icon.svg, kumite open File:Bronze medal icon.svg
• Italian Open in Monza, Italy – March 31-April 1 – kumite +60 kg – 5th

2006

• 18th World Championships in Tampere, Finland – October 12–15 – kumite open File:Gold medal icon.svg
• 41st European Championships in Stavanger, Norway – May 5–7 – kumite +60 kg File:Silver medal icon.svg, kumite open File:Silver medal icon.svg

2005

• World Games in Duisburg, Germany – July 23–24 – kumite open File:Gold medal icon.svg
• 15th Mediterranean Games in Almeria, Spain – June 24-July 3 – kumite +65 kg File:Silver medal icon.svg, kumite open File:Gold medal icon.svg
• 40th European Championships in Tenerife, Spain – May 13–15 – kumite +60 kg File:Gold medal icon.svg, kumite open File:Bronze medal icon.svg

2004

• 39th European Championships in Moscow, Russia – May 7–9 – kumite open File:Gold medal icon.svg

2003

• 38th European Championships in Bremen, Germany – May 9–11 – kumite +60 kg File:Gold medal icon.svg, kumite open File:Bronze medal icon.svg

2002

• 37th European Championships in Tallinn, Estonia – May 3–5 – kumite open File:Gold medal icon.svg

2001

• 14th Mediterranean Games in Tunis, Tunisia – September 2–15 – kumite open File:Gold medal icon.svg

2000

• 2nd World University Karate Championships in Kyoto, Japan – July 7–9 – kumite +60 kg File:Silver medal icon.svg
• 15th World Championships in Munich, Germany – October 12–15 – kumite open File:Gold medal icon.svg
• 35th European Championships in Istanbul, Turkey – May 5–7 – kumite open File:Gold medal icon.svg

1998

• 14th World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – October 18 – kumite open File:Bronze medal icon.svg

1997

• World Cup in Manila, Philippines – September 13–14 – kumite open File:Bronze medal icon.svg
• 24th European Cadet & Junior Championships in Greece – kumite +60 kg File:Gold medal icon.svg
• 13th Mediterranean Games in Bari, Italy – June 13–25 – kumite open File:Gold medal icon.svg

1996

• 31st European Championships in Paris, France – May 3–5 – kumite open File:Bronze medal icon.svg

Team

2004

• 39th European Championships in Moscow, Russia – May 7–9 – kumite female team File:Gold medal icon.svg
• 17th World Championships in Monterrey, Mexico – November 18–21 – kumite female team File:Gold medal icon.svg

2002

• 16th World Championships in Madrid, Spain – November 21–24 – kumite female team File:Gold medal icon.svg

2001

• 36th European Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria – May 11–13 – kumite female team File:Gold medal icon.svg

2000

• 2nd World University Karate Championships in Kyoto, Japan – July 7–9 – kumite female team File:Bronze medal icon.svg
• 35th European Championships in Istanbul, Turkey – May 5–7 – kumite female team File:Bronze medal icon.svg

1999

• 34th European Championships in Euboea, Greece – May 21–23 – kumite female team File:Gold medal icon.svg

1998

• 33rd European Championships in Belgrade, Yugoslavia – May 8–10 – kumite female team File:Bronze medal icon.svg
• 14th World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – October 18 – kumite female team File:Gold medal icon.svg

1997

• 32nd European Championships in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain – May 2–4 – kumite female team File:Bronze medal icon.svg

World ranking

As of May 9, 2009, she ranks:

• World: 3rd
• Kumite female +60 kg (World): 8th
• Kumite female +68 kg (World): 3rd
• Kumite female open (World): 1st

See also

• Turkish women in sports