Rika Usami | |
Native Name: | 宇佐美里香 |
Birth Date: | 20 February 1986 |
Birth Place: | Tokyo, Japan |
Nationality: | Japanese |
Style: | Shitō-ryū |
Trainer: | Yoshimi Inoue |
University: | Kokushikan University |
is a Japanese karateka. She won a Gold medal in individual kata at the 2012 World Karate Championships after previously winning Bronze at the 2010 Championships.[1] She also won Gold in the same category at the 2010 Asian Games., Usami is coaching the karate team at Kokushikan University.[2]
Usami was born on February 20, 1986, in Tokyo, Japan. She had said in an interview that she started karate when she was 10 years old by joining a Goju-ryu-style dojo located near her family's house in Tokyo, after seeing a female fighter on television. Her older brother had been practicing karate and let Usami wear his karate gi on occasions, so that helped her a lot when she decided to eventually start practicing karate herself.
Usami's first karate tournament was when she was a green belt at 12 years old in elementary school. Usami did not participate in big tournaments until age 15 and won her first tournament at 17 years old at the All Japan High School Karatedo Championships.[3]
Year | Competition | Venue | Rank | Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | 30th Japan National High School Karatedo Championships | Sasebo | 1st[4] | ||
2005 | 4th World Junior & Cadet Karatedo Championships | Cyprus | 1st | ||
2006 | 8th Asian Junior & Cadet Karatedo Championships | Singapore | 1st | ||
2007 | 35th | 1st[5] | Individual kata | ||
2007 | 51st All Japan Universities' Karatedo Championship | 1st[6] | Individual kata | ||
2007 | 36th Japan Cup Karatedo Championships | 2nd | Individual kata | ||
2008 | 37th Japan Cup Karatedo Championships | 1st | Individual kata | ||
2009 | Foshan, China | 1st | Individual kata | ||
2010 | 38th Japan Cup Karatedo Championships | 1st | Individual kata | ||
2011 | 39th Japan Cup Karatedo Championships | 1st | Individual kata | ||
2012 | 40th Japan Cup Karatedo Championships | Japan | 1st | Individual kata | |
2012 | 21st World Championships | Paris, France | 1st | Individual kata |