The 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo introduced 5 new Olympic sports: Baseball/Softball, Karate, Skateboard, Sports Climbing and Surfing. Making its Olympic Debut on home soil, karate was featured with two competitions; Kata and Kumite, the latter of which being the fast paced point-sparring event. 

In the men’s kumite 75kg(165lbs) division Final, Tareg Hamedi of Saudi Arabia met Iran’s Sajad Ganjzadeh to fight for gold. 

From the first point that was landed Hamedi looked like the faster, stronger, and better of the two. As the fight went on he would prove this, maintaining a lead of 3 points over Ganjzadeh for the entirety of the fight. 

At just 59 seconds into the fight Hamedi lands a front leg defensive attack to the face of Ganjzadeh who was consequently knocked out as he his offensive attack had left him wide open to a counter. 

“Ganjzadeh was motionless and medics placed an oxygen mask on his face before removing him on a stretcher.” Washington Post journalist Glynn A. Hill accounts, “Hamedi, who initially seemed certain of victory — what would have been Saudi Arabia’s first Olympic gold medal in any sport — appeared apprehensive as officials conferred with each other.
Moments later, Hamedi was disqualified for a hansoku, a serious violation of the rules. The NBC television broadcast said he had unleashed an unchecked attack, following through on his strike as a mixed martial artist would, which is considered too dangerous by Olympic karate standards. Ganjzadeh, who was informed of the decision when he regained consciousness, was awarded the gold medal, and Hamedi was given silver.”

Under the rule set that of which they were competing, the gold medal went to the victor. However the fight that I watched had a very clear dominate victor, and he did not receive a proper accolade. Other than by a technicality in the rule book, he was by no means a loser. Perhaps both men should have been awarded gold medals like what happened recently with Qatar's Mutaz-Essa Barshim and Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi tie in the men’s high jump, 
or perhaps decided the bout a No-Contest.

I’m calling for an official review of the match and the decision with the hopes that either the decision can be overturned, or the rule set under which karate kumite athletes compete can be examined and altered. Stating Tareg Hamedi is a loser or that he gave a Silver Medal performance is an injustice after watching the entirety of the bout. Please show your support for him and other athletes as we attempt to prevent this in the future. 

Full article in The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2021/08/07/olympic-martial-artist-disqualified-gold-medal-karate/

Full video of Men’s 75kg Finals Kumite: https://youtu.be/A1HQDP-tkxo