Yıldız Aras

Yıldız Aras (born November 10, 1977, in Istanbul, Turkey) is a Turkish karateka competing in the kumite +60 kg and open divisions. Aras is member of the Kocaeli Büyükşehir Belediyesi Kağıt Spor Kulübü Karate team. As of May 2009, she is world's best in women's kumite open division.

Personal life
She was born as the fifth daughter to her father from Kars / Arpaçay and to her mother from Sivas /zara. She is a graduate of the School of Physical Education and Sports at the Marmara University in Istanbul.

Sports career
Inspired from the TV films depicting martial arts that became very popular in Turkey in the late 1980s, she entered in 1987, at the age of only 10, into a karate course in her neighborhood. She became a member of the Ersoy Çırlar Sport Club. Her first trainer was Yüksel Baltay, a former national karateka.

Aras was admitted to the national team in 1994. She has been nicknamed by foreign sportspeople as the "Strong Girl". Holding three world champion titles, seven European champion titles, and three Mediterranean Games champion titles, she is the most successful Turkish sportsperson ever, but without any Olympic medal, since karate is not an acknowledged discipline at the Olympic Games.

Individual

 * 2009:
 * 44th European Championships in Zagreb, Croatia – May 8–10 – kumite +68 kg [[File:Gold medal icon.svg]]
 * 2008:
 * 43rd European Championships in Tallinn, Estonia – May 2–4 – kumite +60 kg [[File:Bronze medal icon.svg]], kumite open [[File:Bronze medal icon.svg]]
 * 2007:
 * 42nd European Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia – May 4–6 – kumite +60 kg [[File:Gold medal icon.svg]], kumite open [[File:Bronze medal icon.svg]]
 * Italian Open in Monza, Italy – March 31-April 1 – kumite +60 kg – 5th
 * 2006:
 * 18th World Championships in Tampere, Finland – October 12–15 – kumite open [[File:Gold medal icon.svg]]
 * 41st European Championships in Stavanger, Norway – May 5–7 – kumite +60 kg [[File:Silver medal icon.svg]], kumite open [[File:Silver medal icon.svg]]
 * 2005:
 * World Games in Duisburg, Germany – July 23–24 – kumite open [[File:Gold medal icon.svg]]
 * 15th Mediterranean Games in Almeria, Spain – June 24-July 3 – kumite +65 kg [[File:Silver medal icon.svg]], kumite open [[File:Gold medal icon.svg]]
 * 40th European Championships in Tenerife, Spain – May 13–15 – kumite +60 kg [[File:Gold medal icon.svg]], kumite open [[File:Bronze medal icon.svg]]
 * 2004:
 * 39th European Championships in Moscow, Russia – May 7–9 – kumite open [[File:Gold medal icon.svg]]
 * 2003:
 * 38th European Championships in Bremen, Germany – May 9–11 – kumite +60 kg [[File:Gold medal icon.svg]], kumite open [[File:Bronze medal icon.svg]]
 * 2002:
 * 37th European Championships in Tallinn, Estonia – May 3–5 – kumite open [[File:Gold medal icon.svg]]
 * 2001:
 * 14th Mediterranean Games in Tunis, Tunisia – September 2–15 – kumite open [[File:Gold medal icon.svg]]
 * 2000:
 * 2nd World University Karate Championships in Kyoto, Japan – July 7–9 – kumite +60 kg [[File:Silver medal icon.svg]]
 * 15th World Championships in Munich, Germany – October 12–15 – kumite open [[File:Gold medal icon.svg]]
 * 35th European Championships in Istanbul, Turkey – May 5–7 – kumite open [[File:Gold medal icon.svg]]
 * 1998:
 * 14th World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – October 18 – kumite open [[File:Bronze medal icon.svg]]
 * 1997:
 * World Cup in Manila, Philippines – September 13–14 – kumite open [[File:Bronze medal icon.svg]]
 * 24th European Cadet & Junior Championships in Greece – kumite +60 kg [[File:Gold medal icon.svg]]
 * 13th Mediterranean Games in Bari, Italy – June 13–25 – kumite open [[File:Gold medal icon.svg]]
 * 1996:
 * 31st European Championships in Paris, France – May 3–5 – kumite open [[File:Bronze medal icon.svg]]

Team

 * 2004:
 * 39th European Championships in Moscow, Russia – May 7–9 – kumite female team [[File:Gold medal icon.svg]]
 * 17th World Championships in Monterrey, Mexico – November 18–21 – kumite female team [[File:Gold medal icon.svg]]
 * 2002:
 * 16th World Championships in Madrid, Spain – November 21–24 – kumite female team [[File:Gold medal icon.svg]]
 * 2001:
 * 36th European Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria – May 11–13 – kumite female team [[File:Gold medal icon.svg]]
 * 2000:
 * 2nd World University Karate Championships in Kyoto, Japan – July 7–9 – kumite female team [[File:Bronze medal icon.svg]]
 * 35th European Championships in Istanbul, Turkey – May 5–7 – kumite female team [[File:Bronze medal icon.svg]]
 * 1999:
 * 34th European Championships in Euboea, Greece – May 21–23 – kumite female team [[File:Gold medal icon.svg]]
 * 1998:
 * 33rd European Championships in Belgrade, Yugoslavia – May 8–10 – kumite female team [[File:Bronze medal icon.svg]]
 * 14th World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – October 18 – kumite female team [[File:Gold medal icon.svg]]
 * 1997:
 * 32nd European Championships in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain – May 2–4 – kumite female team [[File:Bronze medal icon.svg]]

World ranking
As of May 9, 2009, she ranks:
 * World: 3rd
 * Kumite female +60 kg (World): 8th
 * Kumite female +68 kg (World): 3rd
 * Kumite female open (World): 1st