When in Rome, become a double world champion

Jason Cracknell’s own category at the World Kickboxing Association (WKA) world championships in Rome earlier this month did not even go ahead – but the 17-year-old still returned as a double world champion.

The Culloden Academy pupil moved up to the adults group instead, and won gold medals in the 74kg and 77.5kg competitions.

It had been years since Cracknell had last competed in a higher age group, and he had never done so on a world championship stage.

But there was no trepidation over the task at hand from either Cracknell or his coaches.

“I’d done it before at Nationals,” he explained.

“They were fine, the last age move up I did was a couple of years ago, it would have been when I was 12.

“That move up was fine, I usually got on with it all right. Now it’s a big difference from teenagers to adults.

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