Revised rule key to taekwondo success at London Olympics

In the London Olympics, South Korea ended its taekwondo campaign with a gold and a silver medal, its worst performance since the country's traditional martial art became an Olympic sport in 2000. Korea won four taekwondo titles in Beijing four years ago.

In London, Hwang Kyeong-seon captured the gold medal in the women's under-67-kilogram taekwondo finals. Lee Dae-hoon won silver in the men's under-58-kilogram competition.

Cha Dong-min, the defending Olympic champion in the men's over-80-kilogram class, was knocked out in the quarterfinals. Lee In-jong finished fourth in the women's over-67kg after losing to Anastasia Baryshnikova of Russia in the bronze medal bout.

Despite the poor performance, Korean taekwondo officials appeared pleased as taekwondo events attracted a large number of spectators during the London Games.

The 6,000-seat Excel South Arena, venue for the taekwondo competition, was crowded every day.

The Korean officials attributed the success to revisions of the rule.

In an effort to make the taekwondo match more dynamic and exciting, the Seoul-based World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) introduced electronic body protectors and prompt video reading system to prevent possible wrong calls by referees. Points are lit on the electronic board immediately when fighters hit the electronic sensor on the upper part of the body.

Also included in the revision was the reduction of the size of the mat on which taekwondo matches are fought to eight meters from 10 meters in width and length. In addition, the scoring system was changed.

Such a success comes after the WTF responded to repeated hard pressure to invigorate boring matches by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

In a meeting with reporters in Seoul in mid-July, Choue Chung-won, president of the WTF, expressed concerns about the possibility of the traditional Korean martial art being removed from the Olympic Games. The Korean taekwondo community was engulfed with fear that the sport would be kicked out of the Olympic Games when the IOC announced that one of 26 sports will be dropped at an IOC meeting in Buenos Aires, Brazil, in September next year after checking the games in London.

Choue called for revisions of the rules, among others. He said the WTF will study every possible way to help ensure the survival of taekwondo in the Olympics.