W.A.K.O. European Championships 1980
Encyclopedia
W.A.K.O. European Championships 1980 were the fourth European kickboxing
championships hosted by the W.A.K.O.
organization. The championships were open to amateur
men based in Europe
and for the first time ever (in European championships), each country had one competitor only per weight division. The styles on offer were Full-Contact and Semi-Contact. By the end of the championships, West Germany
had the largest haul of medals, with host nation Great Britain
in second, and Italy
in third place. The event was held at the Wembley Centre
in London, England, UK
.
to over 84 kg/+184.8 lbs
, with all bouts fought under Full-Contact
rules. More detail on Full-Contact's rules-set can be found at the W.A.K.O. website, although be aware that the rules have changed since 1980. The medal winners of each division are shown below with future K-1
world champion Branko Cikatić
winning his second W.A.K.O. European championships, as did West German
fighter Klaus Friedhaber. By the end of the championships, West Germany
were the strongest nation in Full-Contact with two golds, narrowly fending off hosts Great Britain
who won one gold, three silvers and one bronze.
to over 84 kg/+184.8 lbs
. By the end of the championships, West Germany
were the most successful nation in Semi-Contact, winning three gold medals and two bronze.
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
championships hosted by the W.A.K.O.
World Association of Kickboxing Organizations
The World Association of Kickboxing Organisations is one the international organization of kickboxing, and the governing body of Amateur kickboxing sport certified by SportAccord...
organization. The championships were open to amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
men based in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and for the first time ever (in European championships), each country had one competitor only per weight division. The styles on offer were Full-Contact and Semi-Contact. By the end of the championships, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
had the largest haul of medals, with host nation Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
in second, and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in third place. The event was held at the Wembley Centre
Wembley Conference Centre
Wembley Conference Centre was a conference centre near Wembley Stadium, Wembley, in London, England.-History:Opened in 1977, it was the first purpose built Conference Centre in the UK. Events included conferences, corporate hospitality, annual general meetings, banquets and sports events including...
in London, England, UK
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Men's Full-Contact Kickboxing
The Full-Contact category in London had seven weight divisions ranging from 57 kg/125.4 lbsPound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
to over 84 kg/+184.8 lbs
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
, with all bouts fought under Full-Contact
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
rules. More detail on Full-Contact's rules-set can be found at the W.A.K.O. website, although be aware that the rules have changed since 1980. The medal winners of each division are shown below with future K-1
K-1
K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...
world champion Branko Cikatić
Branko Cikatic
Branko "The Croatian Tiger" Cikatić is a Croatian former heavyweight kickboxer, the first Croatian born fighter to achieve international success...
winning his second W.A.K.O. European championships, as did West German
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
fighter Klaus Friedhaber. By the end of the championships, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
were the strongest nation in Full-Contact with two golds, narrowly fending off hosts Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
who won one gold, three silvers and one bronze.
Men's Full-Contact Kickboxing Medals Table
| -57 kg | Michael Kuhr  |
Howard Brown | Lloyd  |
| -63 kg | Klaus Friedhaber |
Godfrey Butler | Broom |
| -69 kg | Sandry Ravessoud  |
Sølv Sunde  |
Van Duin  |
| -74 kg | Erling Havnå Erling Havnå Erling Mathias Havnå of Arendal, Norway, is a former kickboxer. He won a silver medal in full-contact at the W.A.K.O. European Championships 1979, and stepped up to be the European Champion in 1980. Eleven years later, in 1991, he won the silver medal in the World Championship... |
Wilson | Ruedisnehli |
| -79 kg | Branko Cikatić Branko Cikatic Branko "The Croatian Tiger" Cikatić is a Croatian former heavyweight kickboxer, the first Croatian born fighter to achieve international success...  |
David |
Dev Barrett |
| -84 kg | Partipilo  |
Spika |
Heinz Oberhummer  |
| +84 kg | Commack | Pusnik |
Harold Ehmann |
Men's Semi-Contact Kickboxing
The Semi-Contact category differed from Full-Contact in that fights were won on points given to superior skill, speed and technique and physical force was limited - more information on Semi-Contact can be found on the W.A.K.O. website, although the rules will have changed since 1980. There were seven weight divisions in Semi-Contact in London, ranging from 57 kg/125.4 lbsPound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
to over 84 kg/+184.8 lbs
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
. By the end of the championships, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
were the most successful nation in Semi-Contact, winning three gold medals and two bronze.
Men's Semi-Contact Kickboxing Medals Table
| -57 kg | Christian Wulf |
Alessandro Ortelli |
Coughlan |
| -63 kg | Patrick Scantlebury | Kessels  |
Gerathy |
| -69 kg | Andreas Brannasch |
Prelog |
De Koning |
| -74 kg | Federico Milani |
Kropf |
De Koning |
| -79 kg | Ivan Wray | Maurizio Facchinetti |
Ludger Dietz |
| -84 kg | Harald Edel |
Streicher |
Walter Meneghini |
| +84 kg | Ansberger |
Urich Falk |
Rudiger Malzahn |
Overall Medals Standing (Top 5)
| Ranking | Country | Gold  |
Silver  |
Bronze  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Germany West Germany West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990.... |
5 | 0 | 2 |
| 2 | Great Britain Great Britain Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles... |
3 | 3 | 2 |
| 3 | Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
2 | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
1 | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
1 | 2 | 1 |
| 5 | Yugoslavia Yugoslavia Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century.... |
1 | 2 | 0 |
See also
- List of WAKO Amateur European Championships
- List of WAKO Amateur World Championships
- List of male kickboxers
- List of kickboxing organizations