Suren Harutyunyan won silver at the Karate1 Series A 2026 tournament in Salzburg

Armenian national karate team member Suren Harutyunyan won the silver medal at the final event of the Karate1 Series A 2026, held in Salzburg, Austria, from October 2 to 4.

Harutyunyan competed in the men’s kumite -75 kg category and managed to reach the final. In the decisive bout, the Armenian karateka faced Japan’s Riku Tsuruta.

The final was high-scoring and closely contested. Harutyunyan narrowly lost to the Japanese athlete 5:6, earning the silver medal.

Tsuruta had also produced an exciting performance in the semifinal, where his bout against Belgium’s Quentin Mahauden ended 8:8 before he advanced to the final and went on to secure gold for Japan in the -75 kg category.

For Suren Harutyunyan, this is another notable result on the international stage. In 2025, he made history for Armenian karate by becoming the first representative of Armenia to win a medal at the senior World Championships. On that occasion, Harutyunyan claimed bronze.

Monica Arzumian wins gold for France

Armenian-born Monica Arzumian, who represents France, also enjoyed a successful tournament in Salzburg.

Competing in the women’s -61 kg category, she confidently reached the title. In the semifinal, Arzumian defeated neutral athlete Anna Rodina 9:0, ending her run of two consecutive Series A titles.

In the final, Monica faced Germany’s Mia Bitsch and secured a 5:1 victory to win the gold medal.

Earlier this season, Arzumian had also won the Karate1 Premier League in Rabat.