Britain takes first gold
Great Britain picked up a first gold medal at the 2017 World Taekwondo Championships yesterday in South Korea as Bianca Walkden defeated Jackie Galloway of the United States.
The two bronze medallists from the 2016 Rio Olympics met in the Over-73 kg category in the southern South Korean city of Muju. Walkden overcame Galloway 14-4 in the final of the event that ends Friday.
There was less positive news for the United Kingdom in the men’s Under-87kg class as Lutalo Muhammad, who missed out on gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics in the last seconds of the final, crashed out at the second round after a 21-6 defeat at the hands of Smayil Duisebay of Kazakhstan.
Turkey picked up a second gold to move second in the medal table as Zeliha Agris defeated Tatiana Kudashova of Russia in the final of the women’s Under-53kg category with a score of 11-8.
South Korea is still dominant however as the host nation collected a fourth gold medal of the tournament. Russia had to settle for silver once again as Jeong Yun-jo squeezed past 19-year-old Mikhail Artamonov 24-23 in an epic showdown in the final of the men’s Under-58kg category.
Russia and South Korea meet again on Thursday when Vladislav Larin and In Kyodon face off in the semi-final of the men’s Under-87 kg category for the right to face either Alexander Bachmann of Germany or Slovenia’s Ivan Trajkovic in the final.
In the men’s Over-87 kg, there is an AllAfrica semi-final as Gabon’s Anthony Obame meets Abdoul Razak Issoufou of Niger while Britain’s Mahama Cho meets Roman Kuznetsov.
South Korea has another medal hope in the semi-final of the women’s Under-73 kg category. Oh Hye-ri meets Mexico’s Maria Espinoza. The winner will take on either Reshmie Oogink of the Netherlands or Serbia’s Milica Mandic. —AFP