Kelowna athletes qualify for taekwon-do worlds

Seven athletes from the Sundance Taekwon-Do club in Kelowna brough home a total of six medals from the national championships in Montreal earlier this month.

More than 450 competitors from all across Canada attended the event, with the Sundance contingent winning one gold, three silver and two bronze medals.

Two Sundance athletes also qualified to represent Canada at the prestigious International Taekwon-Do Federation World Championships in Ireland this October.

Brianna Li, 14, qualified in Junior Girls Heavyweight sparring thanks to a silver medal. Nicholas Tiourine, 17, also punched his ticket by capturing silver in Junior Boys Special Technique.

Competitors had to place first or second to qualify for Ireland.

Sundance instructor Andy Leung placed third in the men’s light-heavyweight sparring category, earning a bronze medal after prequalifying for the final round robin, which put Leung up against several perennial champs in one of the toughest divisions.

Sundance’s Serena Apsassin, 10, won gold in the girls’ green belt sparring.