Karaline Figard: “I Worked Four Years for This – and Now It's My Time”

At the 2026 Pan American SAMBO Championships, held in Alajuela, Costa Rica, USA's Karaline Alicia Figard claimed gold in the women's -54kg Combat SAMBO category.

Right after the match, the champion shared her emotions over a long-awaited victory.

“I'm proud of myself. I worked so hard for this. I've been in SAMBO for four years now, put in a lot of work, come a long way – and now it's my time,” the athlete admitted.

The final against Ecuador's Kerly Indacochea was a tense one, and Figard talked through how she made her decisions during the fight.

“At first I was focused on my striking, trying to land solid shots on my opponent, who kept coming forward at me. Then I saw an opening for a trip and thought – there it is, that's my moment! I'd been drilling counters for a long time, and I got to pull one off right there in the final. Really proud of that,” the athlete said.

There were plenty of Ecuadorian fans in the stands that day cheering on her opponent, but the American team's support rang out especially loud. Even so, Figard admits she couldn't really tune into the crowd noise during the match itself.

“I was completely locked in on the fight. But you know, Team USA always brings great energy, and I'm so grateful to all my teammates for their support,” she shared.

Asked about the toughest moment on the mat, the champion pointed to the need to stay level-headed.

“You just have to stay calm. Try to work your counters, get back to your striking – it's genuinely hard when someone's coming at you full force. That was really the main challenge in the final,” the athlete said.

The American dedicated her victory to her loved ones and her whole team.

“I'm dedicating this gold medal to my family, to the USA, to my coaches, to all my teammates – to everyone I know,” said Karaline Figard.