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Ukrainian Karate Star Anzhelika Terliuga Claims 2025 World Games Silver in Comeback Season
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Ukrainian karateka and 2020 Olympic silver medalist Anzhelika Terliuga has claimed silver in the under-55 kg category at the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China.
This was reported by Ukrainian Karate Federation on August 8.
The 2022 World Games champion returned to competition in May after a year-long break, having become a mother for the first time in December 2024. She opened her campaign in Chengdu with one win in two group-stage bouts, advancing to the semifinals.
There, Terliuga initially lost 1:9 to host nation athlete Yu Chun Wei. Following a successful protest, the result was overturned in her favor, giving the Ukrainian a narrow 4:3 victory.
In the final, Terliuga faced four-time European champion Mia Bitsch of Germany. The bout went the full three minutes, with Bitsch scoring the decisive ippon just 30 seconds before the end, securing the gold.
“This is my first medal in almost two years. I stepped away from the sport because I gave birth to my daughter. It was very difficult for me to come back—I dreamed of winning gold, but I didn’t expect to make it to the final. Today was a very dramatic day for me, and in the end—this kind of award. I will truly cherish it; it’s my first medal in my new role,” Terliuga said in a comment to Tribuna.
The competition was not without drama. According to Ukraine’s national karate head coach, Mykola Sirakovskyi, just 50 seconds before the end of the semifinal, Terliuga’s opponent stepped out of the tatami while executing a strike that would have earned her three points—a breach that went unnoticed by the referees.
Fortunately, other coaches observing the match captured the moment on a phone video. Sirakovskyi quickly filed a protest, and the review panel ruled in Ukraine’s favor, adjusting the score to 1:0 for Terliuga. The decision allowed Anzhelika to continue her fight into the final.
The silver in Chengdu is Terliuga’s second World Games medal, adding to the gold she won in 2022. It is also Ukraine’s first medal at this year’s Games, which began on August 7 and will run for a week and a half.
Earlier, it was reported that the Ukrainian delegation was initially blocked from entering the stadium during the opening ceremony of the World Games, an international competition showcasing non-Olympic sports.
