Five-star Aidan Lennan wins handful of titles at Hungarian World Cup as kickboxer brings titles back home to Inverness
Aidan Lennan won five gold medals at one of the biggest kickboxing competitions in the world last weekend.
Last weekend the 16-year-old travelled to Budapest for the Hungarian World Cup, second in terms of prestige only to the World Championships which will be hosted on the same site later this year.
With three days of events, Lennan’s programme kicked off in teams events.
In the junior category, he was in a team with fellow GB athlete Rory Harrison from Stockport and Ahmad Mahomed – whose dad is the president of WAKO Africa - from South Africa.
The trio made it all the way to the final, where they were successful against Ireland to mark the first gold medal of the weekend for Lennan.
His second would come in the senior event, where the Inverness teen once again teamed up with Harrison and Lennan’s Wolfpack Martial Arts teammate Dean Apicella. They would make it to the semi finals before losing out to the eventual winners from Hungary, still earning a bronze medal.
Lennan’s focus would then turn to individual events, and on Saturday he competed in points fighting – entering both the under-19s juniors and also the seniors at under-63kg.
Junior gold came after defeating Greek athlete Alexandros Lyritis, but Lennan has won senior competitions in the UK a different level would have been expected in Hungary.
He would rise to the occasion though, claiming another gold after getting the better of Spanish fighter Bahaa Kabil Talhaoui in the final.
On the final day of competition, Lennan was back in his usual age category taking on juniors in kick light and light contact.
Kick light produced another gold for the youngster, beating Polish fighter Andrii Yelchenko in the final.
After a couple of hours break, Lennan looked to wrap up what had already been a successful trip to Hungary with another gold in light contact, and duly delivered by beating Slovenian Fighter Zan Kovacic in the final.
“My first time attending the Hungarian World Cup, which I've been wanting to fight at for such a long time,” Lennan wrote on social media.
“Results aside I had an amazing four days away with the team. So much challenge and uncertainty at this prestigious competition, on and off the tatami.
“It certainly did not disappoint, the level of competitors there were incredible. I have so much to reflect on and equally analyse and adapt into my future training.”
Mum Diane added: “It was an absolutely fantastic achievement for Aidan and it puts him up there as one of the best kickboxers in the world, and the best 63kg junior fighter in the world.]
“There are not many who compete in and win all three of the tatami disciplines, and to win the seniors too is just incredible.
“We are just so proud of Aidan and what he has achieved. We can’t wait to see him on the world stage again in August at the World Championships again travelling to Budapest.”
Before heading back to Hungary for the World Championships, Lennan will be taking part in the WAKO GB Summer Camp and then the Legends Summer Camp in Greece in July.