South Korea and China dominate Taekwondo, with many strong fighters in the USA too. Great Britain has a small team and has only ever won a single bronze medal. However, taekwondo is still a growing sport in the UK with many dedicated clubs across the country.
Taekwondo was developed in Korea and is based on Korean martial arts. The emphasis is on kicking, with the upper body and head as target areas. The scoring method is similar to that of fencing with electronic contact scoring in place for the the 2012 Games.
In the Olympic Games competition there will is a single elimination tournament for each of the weight categories. Taekwondo has 4 weight categories for men and women:
| Event | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Flyweight | –58 kg | –49 kg |
| Lightweight | 58-68 kg | 49-57 kg |
| Middleweight | 68-80 kg | 57-67 kg |
| Heavyweight | +80 kg | +67 kg |
Team GB always has a few Taekwondo fighters in the Olympics. Sarah Stevenson has fought in the last 3 Olympic Games in the women’s under 67kg group. British fighters in Beijing 2009 were:
- Aaron Cook – Male under 80kg
- Michael Harvey – Male under 58kg
- Sarah Stevenson – Female under 67kg
Sarah Stevenson won a bronze medal in Beijing and has been promoting Britain’s Taekwondo talent hunt on her website.
Both Aaron Cook and Sarah Stevenson won Gold medals in the European Championships in St Petersburg in May 2010 and if they can maintain their fitness are both likely contenders for 2012.
Stevenson is now fighting in a lower weight category this year, fighting below 67kg instead of her previous weight that was below 73kg. She has struggled with injuries since Beijing when she twisted her ankle in the semi-finals.
Aaron Cook beat the Steve Lopez, the Olympic Champion, in 2009. He is looking strong and is still young at just 19 years old.
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