Besides taekwondo traditional powerhouse South Korea, rising stars from Chinese Taipei and Thailand stunned China, which took two taekwondo golds in Athens and eyed two in the Beijing Olympics, through their brilliant performances at the Bangkok Universiade.
Only four tickets (two for men and women each) for the host in Beijing Olympic taekwondo competition, China will send Athens Olympic champion Chen Zhong for the women's over 67kg and the new world champion Wu Jingyu for the women's 49kg division.
Another Chinese Olympic champion Luo Wei, who was crowned in women's 67kg division, has little hope for the ticket due to low form. The Chinese men's team is lack of strength in challenging any gold.
Preparing for the Olympics, both Chen and Wu did not show up in the Bangkok Universiade, and the Chinese team, composed of inexperienced young players, collected only one consolation silver medal in the five-day competition.
Host Thailand, Chinese Taipei and Iran, all of which sent their top players to the Universiade, reaped three golds each from the 16 on offer. South Korea swept the other seven.
As Iran is competitive only in men's events, and South Korea may not send players to compete in the women's 49kg and over 67kg divisions in a bid to avoid elites from China, the main threats to China's Olympic gold hope come from Thailand and Chinese Taipei, especially in the women's 49kg category.
Although Wu's old rival Yang Shu-chun from Chinese Taipei was eliminated in the quarterfinal by a South Korean player at the Universiade, Yang's coach Lee Chia-jung said Yang still got the chance to beat Wu in the Olympics.
"Yang has changed her tactics and will make great improvement in one year," Lee said.
Yang collected silver medals in Doha Asiad and the last Universiade in Turkey. But unfortunately, the winner in both finals was Wu Jingyu.
Nataphol Teepsuwan, secretary general of the Taekwondo
Association of Thailand said besides Yaowapa Boorapolchai, bronze medalist in Athens Olympics, the association still has other two players on list as candidates for the Olympics in women's 49kg category, and one of them is Mae-nam Chirdkiatisak, 19, who won women's 47kg title at the Universiade.
Yaowapa Boorapolchai, the silverist in women's 51kg at Universiade, had beaten Wu Jingyu twice at the Taekwondo World Cup Team and Asian Taekwondo Championships in Thailand last year but lost to Wu in the world championships final in Beijing.
"The competition will be quite fierce in the Olympics," Nataphol said.
The World Olympic Taekwondo Qualification Tournament will be held from Sept. 28 to 30 in Manchester, England. Those who get the first three places can qualify for the 2008 Olympics.
Players of the host country, China, has no need to attend the qualification matches.
Source: Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article