Sandra Sanchez and Kiyou Shimizu qualified for the women's kata final ©WKF

"Photo_Gallery"

Japan's Kiyou Shimizu will have the chance to secure a third straight world title at the weekend ©WKF
Japan's Kiyou Shimizu will have the chance to secure a third straight world title at the weekend ©WKF
Shimizu's compatriot Ryo Kiyuna also maintained his pursuit of a hat-trick of consecutive kata crowns ©WKF
Shimizu's compatriot Ryo Kiyuna also maintained his pursuit of a hat-trick of consecutive kata crowns ©WKF
Action also began in four kumite weight categories ©Twitter
Action also began in four kumite weight categories ©Twitter
Turkey's Ugur Aktas reacts after losing his men's under-84kg semi-final ©Twitter
Turkey's Ugur Aktas reacts after losing his men's under-84kg semi-final ©Twitter
Greece’s Eleni Chatziliadou claimed victory in a hard-fought women's over-68kg semi-final ©WKF
Greece’s Eleni Chatziliadou claimed victory in a hard-fought women's over-68kg semi-final ©WKF
Germany's Jonathan Horne, right, reached the men's over-84kg final in style ©WKF
Germany's Jonathan Horne, right, reached the men's over-84kg final in style ©WKF
Irina Zaretska of Azerbaijan booked a place in a World Championships final for the first time in the women's under-68kg division ©WKF
Irina Zaretska of Azerbaijan booked a place in a World Championships final for the first time in the women's under-68kg division ©WKF
Ayumi Uekusa of Japan and Eleni Chatziliadou of Greece will clash for gold in a repetition of the final of two years ago in Linz ©WKF
Ayumi Uekusa of Japan and Eleni Chatziliadou of Greece will clash for gold in a repetition of the final of two years ago in Linz ©WKF
WKF President Antonio Espinos watches on from the stands on the first day of competition ©Twitter
WKF President Antonio Espinos watches on from the stands on the first day of competition ©Twitter