Around 350 athletes gathered in Blagoveshchensk for the Far Eastern Federal District Wushu Championship, held to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Amur Region Wushu Federation. Competitors from seven regions — including Amur, Khabarovsk, Primorsky, Zabaykalsky, the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Buryatia, and Yakutia — contested roughly a thousand medals across taolu, traditional kung fu, wing chun, and sanda, with ages ranging from seven to seventy.

Among the standout performers was Dmitry Runov from Khabarovsk, who seized the initiative from the opening gong with precise combinations of hand and foot strikes. "The fight was solid. I won and that's great! I like the spinning backfist — that's my favorite move," Runov said after his victory.

The stakes were high, with spots on Russia's national team on the line. "To make the national team, you have to qualify from the very bottom all the way up to the Russian championship. At each stage the requirements get higher and the athletes get stronger, so you need to be ready not for three rounds but for all five," explained Mikhail Kozhemyakin, head coach of Russia's national wushu team.

Over its 20-year history, the Amur Region Wushu Federation has produced more than 600 Russian medalists, 46 European champions, and 43 world champions. "We are truly proud of our masters and candidates for master of sport. We won a grant from the Amur Region governor, which allowed us to hold this championship with a live broadcast," said federation head Natalya Shedko.

The best performers from the tournament will advance to the Russian national championship, where they will represent the Far East at the country's highest level of competition.

Read more on gtrkamur.ru