The World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) today released the full list of 128 athletes from a record-equaling 63 nations who will be competing in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Among those who will be fighting in the sport’s eight weight categories (four female, four male) are eight former Olympic gold medalists, two twin sisters, two sisters, a husband and wife, and an aunt and nephew. A total of seven nations – Aruba, Belarus, Cape Verde, DR. Congo, Moldova, Mongolia and Tonga – will be making their Olympic taekwondo debuts in Rio reflecting the ongoing growth of the sport around the world.
In the women’s division, all eyes will be on China’s Jingyu Joy Wu, who, having dominated her weight category in the 2015 fighting season, looks poised to win a third Olympic gold. In a fact-is-stranger-than-fiction coincidence, Wu’s Olympic heroics were prefigured in film: She played a bit part in the 2003 Chinese movie Taekwondo in which her character won Olympic gold. In Beijing in 2008, and again in London in 2012, fiction became fact. If she wins a third Olympic gold in Rio, she will write history as the first taekwondo athlete to do so.
Among the men, the oldest player on the mats is 37-year-old Steven Lopez of Team USA. Lopez is a legend in taekwondo: He won Olympic gold in Sydney 2000, a second gold in Athens 2004 and bronze in Beijing 2008. Regardless of his success in the competition in Rio, he will make history as soon as he sets foot on the field of play as the first taekwondo athlete ever to fight in five Olympic Games.
In addition to Wu and Lopez, former Olympic gold medalists fighting in Rio are: Dong-min Cha (Korea) who won in Beijing 2008; Maria Espinoza (Mexico) who won in Beijing 2008; Joel Gonzalez Bonilla (Spain) who won in London 2012; Jade The Headhunter Jones (Great Britain) who won in London in 2012; Milica Mandic (Serbia) who won in London 2012; and Servet The Cheetah Tazegul (Turkey), who won in London 2012.
Olympic taekwondo is a family affair. Croatia’s Zaninovic twins, Ana and Lucija, will both be fighting in Rio. So will Australian sisters Caroline and Carmen Marton. The Marton sisters will be joined on the mats by Carmen’s husband, Safwan Khalil; all three Aussies are coached by Ali Khalil, Safwan’s brother. And from Papua New Guinea, Samantha Kassman will be fighting alongside her nephew Maxemillion Kassman.
Taekwondo is one of the world’s most economic and democratic sports, one that overcomes all barriers of color, class, culture and creed, said WTF President Chungwon
Choue. I am proud that we are fielding such a diverse field of athletes, who showcase the global depth, breadth and reach of taekwondo.
SCHEDULE
Wednesday, 17 August 2016
Mens 58kg
8:15 a.m. Round of 16
2:15 p.m. Quarterfinals
4:15 p.m. & 4:45 p.m. Semifinals
8:45 p.m. Semifinals (bronze medal match)
9:15 p.m. Final
Farzan Ashourzadeh Fallah (IRN) 2.50
Tae-Hun Kim (KOR) 4.00
Rui Braganca (POR) 5.00
Si Mohamed Ketbi (BEL) 6.00
Levent Tuncat (GER) 8.00
Jesus Tortosa Cabrera (ESP) 15.00
Cesar Rodriguez (MEX) 15.00
Safwan Khalil (AUS) 21.00
Shuai Zhao (CHN) 21.00
Luis Pie (DOM) 21.00
Ron Atias (ISR) 26.00
Venilton Teixeira (BRA) 34.00
Yousef Shriha (LBY) 81.00
Oscar Munoz (COL) 81.00
Omar Hajjami (MAR) 101.00
Tawin Hanprab (THA) 101.00
Womens 49 kg
8:00 a.m. Round of 16
2:00 p.m. Quarterfinals
4:00 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. Semifinals
8:00 p.m. Semifinals (bronze medal match)
9:00 p.m. Final
Jingyu Wu (CHN) 2.25
Panipal Wongpattanakit (THA) 3.75
Yasmina Aziez (FRA) 6.00
Itzel Manjarrez (MEX) 8.00
Tijana Bogdanovic (SRB) 8.00
Lucija Zaninovic (HRV) 8.00
So-Hui Kim (KOR) 11.00
Hua-Hsuan Huang (CHN) 15.00
Patimat Abakarova (AZE) 19.00
Julissa Diez Canseco (PER) 34.00
Andrea Kilday (NZL) 51.00
Ainur Yesbergenova (KAZ) 51.00
Rosa Keleku (COD) 51.00
Iris Silva (BRA) 67.00
Monica Pimentel-Rodriguez (ABW) 81.00
Maria Andrade (CPV) 101.00
Thursday, 18 August 2016
Mens 68kg
8:15 a.m. Round of 16
2:15 p.m. Quarterfinals
4:15 p.m. & 4:45 p.m. Semifinals
8:45 p.m. Semifinals (bronze medal match)
9:15 p.m. Final
Dae-Hoon Lee (KOR) 3.00
Alexey Denisenko (RUS) 3.50
Servet Tazegul (TUR) 4.00
Jaouad Achab (BEL) 6.00
Saul Gutierrez (MEX) 6.00
Joel Gonzalez Bonilla (ESP) 6.00
Edgar Contreras (VEN) 21.00
Ghofran Zaki (EGY) 21.00
Filip Grgic (CRO) 21.00
Karol Robak (POL) 34.00
Ahmad Abughaush (JOR) 41.00
Balla Dieye (SEN) 41.00
Ignacio Morales (CHL) 67.00
Temuujin Purevjavyn (MNG) 101.00
David Boui (CAF) 101.00
Maxemillion Kassman (PNG) 101.00
Womens 57 kg
8:00 a.m. Round of 16
2:00 p.m. Quarterfinals
4:00 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. Semifinals
8:00 p.m. Semifinals (bronze medal match)
9:00 p.m. Final
Jade Jones (GBR) 2.50
Eva Calvo Gomez (ESP) 3.50
Hedaya Malak (EGY) 4.50
Mayu Hamada (JPN) 5.00
Kimia Alizadeh Zenoorin (IRN) 9.00
Nikita Glasnovic (SWE) 15.00
Raheleh Asemani (BEL) 19.00
Caroline Marton (AUS) 26.00
Julia Vasconcelos (BRA) 34.00
Carolena Carstens (PAN) 34.00
Doris Patino (COL) 67.00
Ana Zaninovic (CRO) 67.00
Phannapa Harnsujin (THA) 67.00
Suvi Mikkonen (FIN) 81.00
Rahma Ben Ali (TUN) 81.00
Hakima El-Meslahy (MAR) 101.00
Friday, 19 August 2016
Mens 80 kg
8:15 a.m. Round of 16
2:15 p.m. Quarterfinals
4:15 p.m. & 4:45 p.m. Semifinals
8:45 p.m. Semifinals (bronze medal match)
9:15 p.m. Final
Mahdi Khodabakhshi (IRN) 2.50
Milad Beigi Harchegani (AZE) 4.00
Aaron Cook (MDA) 4.50
Lutalo Muhammad (GBR) 6.00
Cheick Sallah Cisse (CIV) 6.00
Steven Lopez (USA) 7.00
Albert Gaun (RUS) 9.00
Oussama Oueslati (TUN) 21.00
Tahir Guelec (GER) 21.00
Hayder Shkara (AUS) 26.00
Piotr Pazinski (POL) 41.00
Moises Hernandez (DOM) 41.00
Ismael Coulibaly (MLI) 81.00
Miguel Ferrera (HON) 81.00
Womens 67 kg
8:00 a.m. Round of 16
2:00 p.m. Quarterfinals
4:00 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. Semifinals
8:00 p.m. Semifinals (bronze medal match)
9:00 p.m. Final
Hyeri Oh (KOR) 3.50
Haby Niare (FRA) 3.50
Anastasia Baryshnikova (RUS) 6.00
Nur Tatar (TUR) 6.00
Chia Chia Chuang (CHN) 7.00
Elin Johansson (SWE) 7.00
Paige McPherson (USA) 9.00
Seham El-Sawalhy (EGY) 26.00
Nigora Tursunkulova (UZB) 26.00
Carmen Marton (AUS) 26.00
Farida Azizova (AZE) 34.00
Melissa Pagnotta (CAN) 41.00
Rabia Gulec (GER) 51.00
Aniya Louissant (HAI) 81.00
Ruth Gbagbi (CIV) 81.00
Cansel Deniz (KAZ) 101.00
Saturday, 20 August 2016
Mens 80+ kg
8:15 a.m. Round of 16
2:15 p.m. Quarterfinals
4:15 p.m. & 4:45 p.m. Semifinals
8:45 p.m. Semifinals (bronze medal match)
9:15 p.m. Final
Radik Isaev (AZE) 3.50
Dmitriy Shokin (UZB) 3.50
Dong-Min Cha (KOR) 5.00
Sajjad Mardani (IRN) 6.00
Anthony Obame (GAB) 6.00
M’Bar N’Diaye (FRA) 7.00
Rafael Castillo (CUB) 15.00
Mahama Cho (GBR) 15.00
Arman-Marshall Silla (BLR) 15.00
Abdoul Issoufou (NER) 15.00
Yassine Trabelsi (TUN) 26.00
Stephen Lambdin (USA) 34.00
Maicon Andrade (BRA) 67.00
Pita Taufatofua (TON) 67.00
Sen Qiao (CHN) 67.00
Ruslan Zhaparov (KAZ) 81.00
Womens 67+ kg
8:00 a.m. Round of 16
2:00 p.m. Quarterfinals
4:00 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. Semifinals
8:00 p.m. Semifinals (bronze medal match)
9:00 p.m. Final
Shuyin Zheng (CHN) 4.50
Maria Espinoza (MEX) 4.50
Gwladys Epangue (FRA) 5.00
Jackie Galloway (USA) 6.00
Reshimie Oogink (NED) 6.00
Bianca Walkden (GBR) 6.00
Milica Mandic (SRB) 6.00
Wiam Dislam (MAR) 19.00
Mamina Kone (CIV) 34.00
Tina Skaar (NOR) 41.00
Crystal Weekes (PRI) 51.00
Seavmey Sorn (KHM) 51.00
Katherine Rodriguez (DOM) 67.00
Samantha Kassman (PNG) 81.00
Nisha Rawal (NEP) 81.00
Kirstie Elaine Alora (PHL) 101.00
Official WTF Olympic Ranking and Seeding
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Sample Draw Sheet to see what fighters will match up
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