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E-mail Xinhua, July 18, 2024
All six taekwondo athletes who are set to represent China at the Paris Olympics are newcomers. Despite a lack of Olympic experience, the younger generation of Chinese taekwondo practicioners aim to rebound from a flop three years ago in Tokyo.
Taekwondo was reintroduced as a full medal event at the 2000 Sydney Games, featuring competitions for both men and women. China has won at least one gold medal in taekwondo at each edition of the Games except Tokyo 2020, though there has been a rise in young Chinese stars over the past three years.
China's Luo Zongshi (right) unleashes a kick en route to winning the women's 57kg taekwondo category at Lin'an Sports Culture & Exhibition Centre in Hangzhou on Tuesday. Xinhua
Leading the charge is Luo Zongshi, currently world No. 1 in the women's 57kg category, who has clinched a host of international titles. Liang Yushuai, who competes in the men's 68kg, claimed the 63kg gold at the 2022 World Taekwondo Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Joining them are Song Zhaoxiang, Song Jie and Zhou Zeqi, who all secured victories at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Guo Qing, competing in the women's 49kg, is ranked high in the Olympic standings.
Since London 2012, taekwondo has seen a diversification of medal winners, with traditional powerhouses like South Korea and China facing stiff competition. Athletes from Vietnam, Afghanistan, Jordan and Gabon have all made Olympic history by winning medals in the sport.
The 2024 Paris Olympics will see a significant change in the taekwondo scoring system. Bouts will now be decided in a best-of-three format, with scores resetting at the start of each two-minute round. Athletes must win two out of the three rounds to secure victory, adding intensity and suspense to the competition.
South Korea will send a four-member team to Paris, including Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Lee Da-bin. Despite not winning a gold medal in Tokyo, South Korea, the top nation in taekwondo medal standings, is determined to win at least one gold in Paris.
Thailand's Panipak Wongpattanakit, the favorite in the women's 49kg category, is poised to defend her Olympic title. Celebrating her 27th birthday during the Games, Wongpattanakit remains the top-ranked athlete in her division.
Britain, the leading European nation in Olympic taekwondo medals, will field four athletes, including Jade Jones, double Olympic gold medalist in the women's 57 kg category. The Welsh star, making her fourth Olympic appearance, aims to capture her third gold medal.
Hosts France will rely on Althea Laurin, a bronze medalist in the women's +67kg at the last Olympics, to secure their first gold in the Olympic taekwondo event. Another French hopeful is Magda Wiet-Henin, a world champion in the women's 67kg category.
In the men's competition, top-ranked athletes hail from Tunisia, Uzbekistan, Italy and Cote d'Ivoire.
Ulugbek Rashitov, the first Uzbek to win an Olympic taekwondo gold in Tokyo 2020, will face off against Tokyo silver medalist Bradly Sinden of Britain in the 68kg category. Cheick Sallah Cisse of Cote d'Ivoire, the Rio 2016 champion, remains a formidable contender in the +80kg division.
The taekwondo events at Paris 2024 are scheduled from August 7 to 10 at the Grand Palais. A total of 128 fighters, equally split between men and women, will compete across eight weight categories.
