Two Summerland karate athletes competed against some of the best in the country on the weekend at the Karate Canada National Championships.
Simonka Slizek and Caitlyn Riddle were among the Taneda Karate Dojo students to compete in the event Feb. 24 to 26 in Quebec City.
This was the first time either one had competed at the national level.
Slizek, who has a brown belt with a black stripe, has been in karate for the past nine years. She competed in kumite, or fighting, in the girls 16 to 17 category, under 48 kilograms.
“Everybody’s really good,” she said of the athletes at the competition. “They had to qualify for this tournament.”
Riddle, 13, has been in karate for the past seven to eight years. The green stripe athlete was also competing in kumite.
Riddle was first in her division going into the competition.
She said the individual aspect of the sport appeals to her. “It’s a team sport, but it’s an individual sport as well,” she said.
Mike Ditson, coach with Taneda Karate Dojo, said Slizek and Riddle both had good performances.
Slizek won her first match, but then lost the next two. She finished with the bronze medal.
Riddle was disqualified in her first match. She was leading at the time, Ditson said.