Solid start for New Zealand team

The New Zealand team is in fourth place overall after the first day of competition at the ITF taekwondo world championships in Dublin, having won three gold, one silver and seven bronze medals.

Roisin Giles of Auckland won New Zealand’s first gold medal with a triumph in the second Dan senior individual pattern, with fellow Kiwi Philippa Henry third, with Norway’s Madeleine Lind finishing between them in silver.

Later in the day the experienced Mark Trotter added the second gold. Trotter, who has been competing for his country for 19 years, won in the fourth-sixth Dan senior male pattern title.

The third gold also featured Trotter, this time in the prearranged sparring, where he teamed with another multiple winner for New Zealand over the years, Carl Van Roon.

It was the 10th world championship gold for Trotter in his career. For Van Roon it is the third consecutive pre-arranged gold medal at world championships.

The sole silver medal came from Angel Mccreedy from the Dragons Spirit Club in Papatoetoe, Counties Manukau in the first Dan seniors female pattern.

Manawatu teenager Alex Petrovich picked up two bronze medals.

The Palmerston North athlete won a medal in the junior second Dan male pattern and also in the junior male power.

Another bronze winner in juniors was Logan Braakhuis from the Berhampore Club in Wellington in the first Dan junior male patterns, while Tauranga’s Frances Lloyd took bronze in junior special techniques.

Melissa Bray (nee Timperley) won bronze in the fourth-sixth Dan patterns, beating rivals from Belgium, Norway and Italy before falling to a Canadian in the semifinals.

Red Beach athlete Vinu Vijay also took a bronze in the men’s senior special techniques.

Russia is the leading nation with four gold, one silver and one bronze, followed by Argentina second with three gold, four silver and four bronze and Norway third with three gold, two silver and seven bronze.

The 58-strong New Zealand team comprises of seniors (over 18 years) and juniors (12-18 years) with results from both contributing towards the overall placing.

New Zealand was the top country at the last world championships in Italy in 2015, third two years before in Spain and won in Wellington in 2011.