The 5th edition of the World Taekwondo Cadet Championships has officially come to a close.
Seventeen of Australia’s most promising 12 to 14-year-old Taekwondo athletes did their country proud, holding their own against the world’s brightest young stars.
While some athletes were eliminated in the Round of 32, and others reached the Round of 16, it’s safe to say the entire team put in solid performances and gained valuable international experience.
Five Aussies claimed impressive victories in their opening matches, defeating opponents from across the globe.
Atharva Pansare won a very technical contest against Omid Eram of Canada in the Round of 64, before beating Serbia’s Andrej Ivanovi in the Round of 32. He was eventually defeated by the tournament’s bronze medallist, Thanpoom Fuangnoi.
Mila Clark and Angelus An both impressed in battling past Macedonian and Swedish opponents respectively, before losing tough contests in the Round of 16.
Akon Baak gave one of Australia’s standout performances with a comprehensive victory over Chinese Taipei’s Lin-en Tsai, before losing to the eventual gold medallist Kimi Laurene Ossin.
Lacie Gleeson also impressed against an Iranian opponent, before losing a competitive bout against silver medallist Parnian Saki.
Other notable performances included Diego Querubin and Leonardo Angell’s efforts against the gold and bronze medallists in their respective divisions. You can catch up on all of the Aussie results below.
Australian World Taekwondo Cadet Championship Results
Don’t forget to tune in to the World Junior Taekwondo Championships, which kicked off yesterday at the same venue in Sofia. Another 20 young Aussies are competing there until August 7. For further information, check out our guide to this event.
The Australian Poomsae Team has returned from the 2026 World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in Chuncheon, South Korea, with three medals: one gold and two silver.
Over five days of competition at the largest World Poomsae Championships ever held, Australian athletes made history in both the cadet and masters divisions, and pushed deeper into the draw across more age groups than in recent campaigns.
Janine Watson has called time on her 19-year taekwondo career, competing at an international level in both kyorugi and poomsae. Watson finishes as Australia's most decorated para athlete, leaving behind a legacy both on and off the mat.
Australia’s para taekwondo program will be represented by two athletes on the Gold Coast this month, with Shrijana Ghising and Evie Ruffle set to contest the Australian Open, WT President’s Cup and Oceania Championships in an important competition block ahead of the Para World Championships later this year.
