Tsuneari's Story
Fast Facts
Sport: Karate
Olympic History: Tokyo 2020
Highlights: Bronze medal at the World Games
Club: Miyagikan Goju Ryu Karate Do
Year Born: 1987
State Born: Japan
About Tsuneari
Tsuneari Yahiro came to Australia when he was 18-months-old, after his family decided to relocate from Japan. He began Karate at the age of nine, alongside his older brother. Growing up he would always lose to his brother, which instilled a strict determination to win and succeed in Yahiro.
Yahiro competes in the -75kg category and is renowned for his skill set and fast edge he brings to a fight.
Yahiro’s track record at the Australian championships is second to none, apart from an injury that took him away from competing in 2006, he has been undefeated at the event since 2001. He has also continued to draw attention to Karate and Martial Arts in Australia through his international career.
Yahiro is a four-time Oceania Championships winner, and has also claimed two bronze medals and a gold medal at the World Circuit competition.
In 2013 Yahiro claimed bronze at the Junior World Championships in Marseille, France and went on to claim another bronze medal at the World Games held in Cali, Columbia. The 33-year-old has also represented Australia at two World Championships in 2012 and 2014, where he placed 7th overall on both occasions.
After many monumental achievements and a prosperous career in Karate, Yahiro considered retiring in 2016. However, that same year it was announced that Karate was going to be added to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Fortunately, Yahiro made the decision to stay in the game and at the age of 33, he made his Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games.
Competing against a world class field of 10, Yahiro fought bravely but went down in each of his four matches, losing 6-3 to Kazakhstan’s Nurkanat Azhikanov, 5-0 to Italy’s Luigi Busa, 5-0 to Azerbaijan’s Rafael Aghayev, and 8-3 to Noah Bitsch, in an enthralling contest that Yahiro led 3-2 before a late rally by the German.
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