Korea to select taekwondo classes for 2012 Olympics

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Sports

Hangzhou Asian Games

Sun, December 10, 2023 | 14:17

Korea to select taekwondo classes for 2012 Olympics

Posted : 2011-05-03 16:41

Updated : 2011-05-03 16:41

By Yoon Chul

The Korea Taekwondo Organization plans to pick the weight classes in which Korean athletes will appear in the London Olympics in 2012 on Sunday.

There are four weight classes for both men and women but each country is only permitted to enter competitors in two classifications for each gender.

Korea’s governing body will hold a three-day competition to select the team members from May 23 based on Sunday’s decision.

The final selection competition will be on June 7 and they will compete in the 2012 Olympic World Qualification Tournament to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan from June 30.

Since Taekwondo became the Olympic official event in 2000, South Korea always appeared in the 68- and over 80-kilogram class for men and 57- and 67-kilogram class for women.

In the last Olympics in Beijing in 2008 Korea took all four gold medals.

In the men’s over 80-kilogram and women’s 57-kilogram class, Korea has never missed out on the gold medal at the Summer Games.

The board members of the Korea Taekwondo Organization has agreed on three classes but some of them claim the need to pick the men’s 58-kilogram instead of the over 80-kilogram class.