Feryal Abdelaziz bites her medal (L) and reacts at her match against Sofya Berultseva of Kazakhstan in Tokyo on Saturday. Reuters

Gulf Today Report

Feryal Abdelaziz of Egypt has clinched the first Olympic karate gold medal in women’s over-61 kilogramme kumite, beating Azerbaijan’s Iryna Zaretska.

This is Egypt’s second Olympic gold medal since 1948.

The 22-year-old Abdelaziz went ahead on a yuko with 28 seconds left in a cagey final bout. She scored again three seconds later and hung on for a 2:0 victory celebrated with a primal scream.

Feryal Abdelaziz reacts in Tokyo. Reuters

Egypt has been competing at the Olympics since 1912, but Greco-Roman wrestler Karem Gaber’s gold in Athens in 2004 was the nation’s only other gold in the past 73 years.