Karate club strikes gold in Brazil and claims spot for Harrogate in world medals table

Dear Reader, we have made this article free to read. We publish about 100 articles a week all exclusively focused on local news. Please support independent local journalism by subscribing here. It costs as little as 14p a day.

An elite squad of 21 competitors put Harrogate on the map at a global karate competition in Brazil this summer.

The young competitors, from Harrogate Shotokan Karate Club, represented national karate body JKS England, which topped the medals table for the first time, with 12 golds, 10 silvers and 15 bronzes.

If Harrogate alone was a nation, it would have taken fifth place in the medals table – just behind Japan.

The 7th JKS Karate-do International Cup 2026 was held in Vitória, north-east of Rio de Janeiro, and featured more than 700 competitors, with 30 teams travelling from all over the world. It was organised by JKS Brasil in cooperation with the Japan Karate Shotorenmei (JKS), the federation that governs the sport worldwide.

The Harrogate team was led by club instructor Matt Price, a former world karate champion, with assistant coaches Tom Little 4th Dan and Zoe Price 4th Dan.

A club highlight was when Jonty Price was crowned the 4th best athlete of the tournament.

Harrogate Shotokan Karate Club's full medal haul at the JKS World Championships 2026:

Gold

• Helen Thornham – 45-49 years Female Kumite
• Eilidh Owens, Isobel McGowan and Anya Holmes-Ellerker – Female 17-19 years Female Team Kata
• Jonty Price – 11-13 years Male Team Kata
• Eleanor Price and Alexandra Ivanics – 11-13 years Female Team Kata
• Jonty Price – 11-13 years Male Team Kumite
• Evander Morrison – 14-16 years Male Team Kumite
• Anya Holmes-Ellerker, Isobel McGowan and Eilidh Owens – 17-19 years Female Team Kumite

Silver

• Alexandra Ivanics – 11-13 years Female Kata
• Anthony – Team Kata
• Zoe Price, Eleanor Price and Jonty Price – Family Team Kata
• Valerie Jones – 45-49 years Female Kumite
• Kate Hambleton – Senior Ladies Kumite
• Alexandra Ivanvics, Mirren Thornham and Eleanor Price – 11-13 years Female Team Kumite

Bronze

• Zoe Price and Alice Flinta – Senior Female Team Kata
• Anya Holmes-Ellerker – 17-19 years Female Kata
• Zarana Gilthorpe – 14-16 years Female Kata
• Rowan Underwood – 14-16 years Female Kata
• Anya Holmes-Ellerker – 18-49 years Female Koten Kata
• Alice Flinta – 18-49 years Female Koten Kata
• Helen Thornham – 45-49 years Female Kata
• Helen Thornham, Rowan Underwood and Mirren Thornham – Family Team Kata
• Eleanor Price – 12-13 years Female Kumite
• Zarana Gilthorpe – 14-16 Years Female Kumite
• Anya Holmes-Ellerker – 17-19 years Female Kumite
• Jade Stapleton-Smith – Senior Male – 75kg Kumite 

Harrogate Shotokan Karate Club was founded in 1976 and is based at Harrogate High School.