Wu You, a nine-year-old from Hai'an, wins gold at the 2nd Asian Karate Youth Open Championship. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Wu You, a 9-year-old student at Chengnan Experimental Primary School in Hai'an, clinched the championship title in the U10 individual kata category at the 2nd Asian Karate Youth Open Championship on Aug 14.

The competition brought together 488 young athletes in 55 teams from 14 countries and regions, including Uzbekistan, Malaysia, and Australia. After six intense rounds, Wu's precise and fluid performance, marked by clean, powerful moves delivered in one seamless flow, won over the judges and secured her the gold medal.

Behind her triumph lies years of determination. Wu's mother, Wang Qian, said that her daughter not only trains in karate but also in sanda and combat sports. Grueling practices often left her nursing new injuries before old ones had healed. "We once thought about asking her to give it up," Wang admitted, "but her stubborn will and refusal to quit kept her going."

Wu is no stranger to the podium: she has already captured gold in Jiangsu's U-series Karate Championships and was crowned double champion at the 2024 national U-series events in Zhejiang and Henan.

For Wu, karate is more than medals. "Training has taught me persistence and courage," she said. "Competing with friends from other countries was exciting, and it broadened my horizons. I want to keep improving and one day stand on even bigger stages."