A YORK-BASED karate group struck gold at the at the national Karate Union of Great Britain Shotokan Cup 2023 with three victories.
York Elite brought home three individual medals across the Girls Kumite, Junior Ladies Kumite, and Senior Ladies Kumite categories.
Demonstrating their impressive skills, the six-strong team of brown and black belts fought their way to kumite victory, taking home two bronze and a gold medal in the combat element of karate.
National champion and England squad member, Eleanor Poels, 16, kicked her way into the top-spot, taking home gold in the Junior Ladies Kumite category. Eleanor’s karate success follows a string of recent wins including gold at the 2022 and 2023 KUGB National Championships, and gold in the Cadet Ladies Team Kumite at the 2022 WSKA World Championships.
At just 13 years’ old Carolina Alvarez Odell earned bronze in the competitive Girls Kumite category, and fellow England squad member Cayleigh McCartney took home bronze in the Senior Ladies Kumite.
Joining the York Elite team at the Shotokan Cup were Toby Holliday, who was just one win from reaching the podium, Natalie Mellish, Leila, Spike Marriott, and Constantino Alvarez Odell, each of whom put up impressive fights in their challenging categories.
This month’s Shotokan Cup 2023 victories follow an impressive number of recent wins by the York Elite team, including successes at the 2023 Sunderland Karate Championship and the 2023 KUGB National Championship.
Chief instructor at York Elite, Rob McCartney, said: “After a string of competition successes it’s always nerve-racking taking on another challenge, but our York Elite members brought their A-game and nationals was a triumphant success. I couldn’t be prouder of everyone’s efforts and the three podium wins were simply the cherry on top.”
York Elite's Eleanor Poels has also been nominated for Sporting Hero in this year’s Community Pride Awards. The award will recognise an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to local sport.
After gaining her first black belt aged nine, the All Saints School pupil has continued to find her footing in the sport.
She struck gold earlier this year at the 2023 Karate Union of Great Britain National Championships in April, after winning the Junior Ladies Kumite category and taking home the Most Outstanding Junior Competitor Award.
Under the tuition of Rob and Kumite instructor Harry Cuddy, the York Elite karate club provides traditional Shotokan karate training for all ages and skill levels. The York-based club trains on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and is currently welcoming new members to its sessions.
Further details on York Elite can be found on the group's website.
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