Sofya Berultseva
Sofya Berultseva is a Kazakhstani professional karateka Olympic bronze medallist, she represents Kazakhstan internationally at Kumite (Karate) events. She won a bronze medal in her event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan and the 2021 World Karate Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Career
Berultseva has won several medals at Asian Karate Championships in individual kumite category and she also won several medals, including gold, in the World Karate Federation Karate 1 Leagues and Series Championships.In 2021, she won gold medal in the Karate 1 Premier League Karate Championships held at Istanbul, Turkey.
Berultseva competed at the World Olympic Qualification Tournament held in Paris, France hoping to qualify for 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. She did not qualify at this tournament but was able to qualify via Continental representation soon after.
Berultseva gained a bronze medal for Kazakhstan in Women’s +61 kg Kumite Category at the karate competition of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. Feryal Abdelaziz beat her, 5:4, to claim a place in the gold medal event against Azerbaijan’s Irina Zaretska. Berultseva won a bronze medal as karate does not have a third place play-off match and the losing semi finalists both get a bronze medal.
In December 2021, Berultseva won the silver medal in her event at the Asian Karate Championships held in Almaty, Kazakhstan. She also won one of the bronze medals in the women's team kumite event.
Berultseva won the gold medal in the women's +68 kg event at the 2022 World Games held in Birmingham, United States. She defeated María Torres of Spain in her gold medal match. She also won the gold medal in her event at the 2021 Islamic Solidarity Games held in Konya, Turkey.
In 2023, she lost her bronze medal match in the women's +68kg event at the World Karate Championships held in Budapest, Hungary. She also lost her bronze medal match in the women's +68kg event at the 2025 World Games held in Chengdu, China.