Taekwondo

Vietnamese athletes celebrate their victory in the over-17 freestyle mixed team at the World Taekwondo Poomsae (performance) Championships 2024 on November 30 in Hong Kong. Photo of Việt Nam Sports Team

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese athletes won a gold medal on the first day of the biennial World Taekwondo Poomsae (performance) Championships 2024 on Saturday in Hong Kong, China.

Việt Nam had 40 athletes and seven coaches at the event with silver medals as their target. But they did better than expected at the Hong Kong Coliseum in Hung Hom.

In the first event of over-17 freestyle mixed team, Việt Nam faced 14 rivals. After the elimination, eight qualified for the second round.

Việt Nam's group of six athletes performed successfully to reach 8.680 points and place on top of the podium.

It was the first gold of Việt Nam at the championship since 2016.

Mexico came second with 8,660 points. Italy and the Philippines shared the third place, respectively.

In addition to the gold, Việt Nam also earned a bronze in the male junior team event. They ranked below athletes from South Korea and the US.

Head coach Nguyễn Thanh Huy said it was a tough championship because South Korea, mother country of taekwondo, took part in all categories.

However, Vietnamese athletes had high chance for gold medals in the cadet discipline. For those in the junior discipline, athletes in the freestyle category would make the break. Meanwhile athletes in the U40 recognised class may also earn medals.

He said despite challenges, all athletes were asked to deliver their best for highest results.

The championships, the highest level of taekwondo competition in the world out of Olympic Game, featured a record number of 1,727 athletes from 77 countries and regions. The old record went to the Chinese Taipei edition with 1,274 competitors from 59 delegations in 2018.

The Hong Kong event will continue until Wednesday. VNS