A day after his compatriot conceded karate's maiden Olympic gold medal to her Spanish rival, Japan's Ryo Kiyuna looks set to collect the goods on Friday as he dominated the men's kata competition with lofty scores that were a cut above the rest.

While the women's kata event between the perennial top two — Spain's Sandra Sanchez Jaime and Japan's Kiyou Shimizu — was a close affair, Kiyuna's gold seems inevitable, with his high marks drawing gasps from some in the arena.

The 31-year-old native of Okinawa — the birthplace of karate — has said the Games' one-year postponement had given him time to build up more muscle and heft. He has also worked to polish what his master calls "artistic awareness" by incorporating the Ryumai, or local Okinawan dance, into his regimen.