The Heriot-Watt University Karate Team won gold for the fourth year in succession at the recent British Universities & Colleges Sport Karate Championships.
It is the first time that four gold medal wins in a row has been achieved in the history of the championships.
The British University & College Karate Championships took place in Sheffield recently. The competition is open to fighters of any nationality provided they are attending a University in Britain, and the event attracted over 450 competitors. The standard of athletes was strong with many international fighters taking part.
The Heriot-Watt University Men's Team consisting of Giovanni Rossi, Donald Forsyth, Mark Wyllie, and Calum Robb (Captain) took part in the five man event. In the first round they beat Middlesex University. In the next round they beat Cardiff University, and in the semi-final they met Nottingham University and came out victors. In the final they took on Bath University and beat them to lift the Gold.
On the Sunday the Individual events were contested by fighters from two distinct groups, namely 'Novices' and more experienced 'Seniors'.
In the Male Senior, under 67kg category, several Scottish fighters contested the medal places with Mark Wyllie of Heriot Watt University winning Bronze.
In the Male Senior, over 84kg category, Calum Robb of Heriot-Watt overwhelmed the English International James Steadman in the final, by 8 points to 1, to win the Gold.
The 2011 BUCS Karate Championships were once again dominated by Scottish athletes, which is indicative of the talent that is involved in Scottish University Sport.