McGovern is proving he is up for a fight
IN THE LATEST IN OUR SERIES ON NORTH EAST SPORTS STARLETS WHO ENJOYED SUCCESS IN 2018, WE FOCUS ON TAEKWONDO ACE CIARAN MCGOVERN
AFTER a year of spectacular floor shows, taekwondo ace Ciaran McGovern is hoping to really come of age in 2019, writes TONY HODGSON.
The 17-year-old from Gosforth can look back on a successful 2018 in which he won two golds and a bronze at international level and represented Great Britain for the first time.
His New Year resolution is to build on those achievements as he joins the sport’s senior ranks - with the ultimate ambition of taking up the sport full time.
McGovern - a member of the Ferryhill-based Team Warrior Taekwondo Club, said: “I was very pleased with how 2018 went.
“I claimed a gold medal in the junior section of the National Championships in Sheffield and a silver in the senior competition.
“I also won gold at international events in Slovenia and Luxembourg and a bronze at a competition in Poland.”
He added: “I was also called up for the European Junior Championships - you have to put your name forward and then the squad’s coaches decide who makes the squad
“It did not go as well as I had hoped.
“I lost my fight at the very last second - but it was still a fantastic experience and I learned an awful lot from it.”
On his third place in Poland, McGovern added: “It was very enjoyable fighting there and I was pleased to come away with a bronze medal.
“I had four tough fights beating competitors from Iceland, Norway and a Hungarian national squad member who has been European champion before.
“I eventually went out in the semifinals to the eventual gold medallist.”
McGovern’s exploits are attracting the attention of those at the top of the sport.
The youngster is now a member of the Great Britain Development Squad, a key stepping-stone to eventually making the full Great Britain team.
He said: “I am training every with the squad, sparring with different partners, and I will continue to do so until June.
“I have also been training at the National Taekwondo Centre with the full GB Olympic squad.
“It has been great working with people you normally just watch in action on TV.
“I have picked up so much from them which undoubtedly will help me in the future.
“I am very proud to have been selected for the development squad as it has always been a goal of mine to get into it.
“I go down to Manchester every other weekend so I am looking forward to training more with the squad in the coming months.
“It is made up of the best junior fighters in the country and also has a top-quality coaching team.”
McGovern is expecting another busy year in 2019 - although he has not yet finalised his competitive schedule.
The teenager went on: “My aim is to win selection for GB for the 2019 European Junior Championships and hopefully do better this time round.
“I am looking at international competitions as well but I have not decided exactly where I will be competing.
“I will be joining the senior ranks during the year so hopefully I can reciprocate my success at junior level when I come up against the adult fighters.
“I am considering doing taekwondo full time at some point but we will just see how things go this year.”
McGovern’s coach of four years Ben Shaw is not surprised at his protege’s success - and is tipping him for even greater things in future.
He said: “If I had 20 students like Ciaran I would be a very happy man.
“He has had a fantastic year, much better than probably he or I expected, and his success is a reward for his hard work and dedication.
“He gets his head down and trains solidly three or four times a week.
“He is always prepared to take advice and criticism on board and is a pleasure to work with.”
McGovern added: “I took up the sport because my mum did taekwondo and she took me along to one of her coaching sessions to see if I would enjoy it.
“I have now been doing it for 12 years now and been attending competitions for the past four years.”