---
title: "Stanislav Horuna: \"I want to step onto the tatami like an artist and paint something good\""
description: "Olympic karate medalist Stanislav Horuna, after a two-year hiatus, triumphantly won the Salzburg tournament in the under 84 kg category and unexpectedly retired."
date: 2026-10-13T03:34:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/stanislav-goruna-retires-karate
tags: [stanislav-goruna, karate, tokyo-2020, wkf, salzburg]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Stanislav Horuna: "I want to step onto the tatami like an artist and paint something good"

![Stanislav Horuna on the tatami during a tournament](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/13/stanislav-goruna-zavershil-kareru-karate/stanislav-goruna-zavershil-kareru-karate-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Stanislav Horuna won the tournament in Salzburg in the under 84 kg category after a two-year break.
- The athlete officially announced the end of his professional career at the age of 37.
- The decision to end his career came as a surprise to the karateka's family.
- Horuna plans to focus on the development of the sport, management, and new projects.

Famous Ukrainian karateka and Olympic medalist Stanislav Horuna has decided to officially bring his professional sports career to a close. After a two-year hiatus from competition, he returned to an international tournament in Salzburg, moved up to a new weight class of under 84 kg, and triumphantly won the event, after which he announced his final retirement from top-level competition. This decision came as a complete surprise even to the athlete's closest relatives — his wife and son.

### Background and Reasons for the Triumphant Return

In fact, Stanislav Horuna had not participated in official competitions for about two years, following the 2024 Team World Cup. However, he retained an internal sense of incompleteness that prevented him from simply leaving sports without a loud final chord. According to the athlete, at 37 years of age, returning and reaching peak form after such a long break is incredibly difficult. He went through a rigorous two-month training cycle, which included training on Dragobrat, daily sparring, and colossal physical loads, combining them with the conditions of constant air raids and shellings.

### The Dilemma of Peak Form and Sporting Future

Despite the bright victory in Salzburg and his triumphant return, Horuna emphasizes that he does not plan to continue his career. He compared his current state to buying an expensive sports car that has to be parked in a garage: his body is at peak form thanks to two months of preparation, but there is no longer any need to perform and compete. The Olympic medalist's sporting path has come to a logical conclusion, opening the way for new projects, managerial work, and the development of karate at international and national levels.

### Controversial Data

While official sources and the athlete's own interviews confirm the triumphant end of his career at the Salzburg tournament at the age of 37, the sports community previously actively discussed various scenarios for his continued participation in international WKF projects. Some experts assumed that Horuna might focus exclusively on administrative work within the World Karate Federation, but his unexpected appearance on the tatami and victory in the new under 84 kg category proved his highest competitive potential, making his departure extremely vivid and memorable.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Станислав Горуна: "Хочу выйти на татами, как художник, и что-нибудь хорошее нарисовать"](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/othersport/stanislav-goruna-hochu-viyti-tatami-k-hudozhnik-1791841188.html) - Интервью спортсмена о завершении карьеры и возвращении в Зальцбурге.
- [Яркий триумф и неожиданная точка: легендарный украинский призер Олимпиады завершил карьеру](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/othersport/skraviy-triumf-i-nespodivana-krapka-legendarniy-1791207332.html) - Интервью спортсмена о завершении карьеры и возвращении в Зальцбурге.
- [Олимпийская медаль по карате, завоёванная на Играх в Токио, возвращена украинскому спортсмену](https://www.nippon.com/ru/news/yjj2026040500353/) - Подтверждено по источнику nippon.com
- [Украинский призер Олимпиады-2020 получил должность во Всемирной федерации карате](https://zn.ua/SPORT/ukrainskij-bronzovyj-prizer-olimpiady-2020-poluchil-dolzhnost-vo-vsemirnoj-federatsii-karate.html) - Контекст спортивной и управленческой деятельности Горуны.

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