Photo screen grabbed from James De los Santos’ Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — James De los Santos added another gold medal to his collection after topping the Golden League Karate eTournament Series #3 on Tuesday.
De los Santos proved why he’s the top eKata athlete in the world by picking up his 23rd gold despite not being in his top form.
The 30-year-old karateka bested Alfredo Bustamante of the United States, 25.7-24.3, in the final round.
“I have to admit that I was feeling under the weather (it’s not covid-19) during this finals, but I still performed and ended up winning my 23rd gold,” he wrote on his social media accounts.
“I am also glad to say that I was declared NEGATIVE after my Covid-19 test results came out, given that I was usually out for the virtual tournaments and other errands for the past 8 months since the lockdown began. But the virus is still out there, so it’s still highly necessary to follow the safety protocols.”
De los Santos claimed his 22nd gold medal just last week after ruling the Athlete’s E-Tournament.