Cayman Islands karate athlete Lucas Jackson wins elite Silver in Miami Open

Cayman Islands karate athlete Lucas Jackson won a silver medal in the elite Junior Kata division in the Miami Open, leading a delegation of local athletes who together secured 6 medals.

The 20th Annual Miami Open Karate International Championship drew nearly 700 athletes to South Florida on Saturday and Sunday, 16-17 May, to compete in one of the largest recurring karate events to take place in the United States.

Cayman was represented by a team of 9 athletes, who won 1 silver and 5 bronze medals during the competition. The team’s age ranged from 6-17 years old.

The highlight of the tournament for Cayman was Jackson’s performance in his Kata division (16-17 year olds), where he bested competitors from the U.S. and Trinidad before getting edged out in the gold medal match by an athlete from the Dominican Republic who was last year’s Junior Pan American Karate champion.

“It’s been amazing to see Lucas’ progress since he joined our National Training Programme at its inception more than 6 years ago. He’s leveled up his performance significantly over the past year, and has now secured Gold and Silver medals in his last two competitions in the U.S.,” said Patrick Brendel, coach of the Cayman Islands National Karate-Do Association (CINKA). “Congratulations to Lucas and all of our athletes who competed well during a tournament that always features an extremely challenging field.”

The Miami Open drew competitors from the highest levels, including top athletes on Team USA and from 25 other countries around the globe.

In addition to the medal winners, several Cayman athletes advanced to Bronze Medal rounds before being defeated and securing 5th place finishes.

On the Friday before the event, 4 Cayman athletes participate in an elite Kata (forms) seminar led by Ariel Torres of the U.S. and Grace Lau Mo-sheung of Hong Kong. Torres and Lau each won bronze medals in kata during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and are currently ranked #2 and #1, respectively, in the world.

The same day, another teenage Cayman athlete participated in an elite Kumite (fighting) seminar led by Team USA Captain Tom Scott, who is an Olympian and world champion.

Here are the medal results for Cayman athletes in the Miami Open:

• Apreutesei, Chloe Grace

○ 7 & under Girls Novice Kata - BRONZE

○ 7 & under Girls Novice Kumite - BRONZE

• Park, Lily-Michael

○ Age 8 Girls Novice Kata - BRONZE

○ Age 8 Girls Novice Kumite - BRONZE

• Alberga, Jax

○ Age 8 Boys Novice Kumite - BRONZE

• Jackson, Lucas

○ Junior (16-17) Boys Elite Kata - SILVER

CINKA is the recognised governing body for the sport of karate in Cayman, and is a member of the Caribbean Karate Association, Pan American Karate Federation, Commonwealth Karate Federation and the World Karate Federation (WKF).

Under the global governing body WKF, karate is a competitive sport in the Pan American Games.

As a Cayman Islands-registered Non-Profit Organisation, CINKA is actively seeking sponsorships from private companies and individuals.

For more information:

CINKA: https://www.cinkakaratedo.com/

Miami Open: https://miamiopenkarate.com/

Tournament Data: https://colosseumdata.com/registrations/info/146