Markus Zadra after the prize distribution at the European Masters Games in Finland.

Markus Zadra can still do it

At the European Masters Games in Tampere (Finland), where athletes from all over the world competed in around 30 sports, two martial artists from ASV Zadra fighting/rothoblaas from Kurtatsch also took part in Taekwondo and won a sensational three medals in total. Above all, the South Tyrolean martial arts legend Markus Zadra came out trumps.

August 09, 2023

From: pm/sportnews

Markus Zadra won the gold medal in the shapes competition (Poomsae) in the +50 years category. At 58 years old, he was the oldest in the international field of participants in Taekwondo in Finland.

The 50-year-old Kurtatscher was also on course for gold in the Olympic competition in the A class +80 years +58 kg heavyweight in the final against his arch rival Juan Ramon Bentez Punal from Spain.
With a clear 15:8 point lead, which he had earned with three spectacular leg techniques, Zadra was unassailable six seconds before the end of the fight. However, due to reaching the maximum of 5 warnings that one is allowed to have in total, two of which were controversial, the victory was awarded to the Spaniard.

Gabriele Cera takes silver

Gabriele Cera narrowly missed out on the gold medal at the Olympic competition in the -45 years -74 kg class. At the end of his final fight, the athlete from ASV Zadra-fighting/rothoblaas delivered a spectacular spinning kick to his opponent's head, but it came almost a second too late because the fight time had expired.

Three medals with two athletes is so far unique for Italy at the European Masters Games. The Unterlandler martial artists began their journey home satisfied.