The Athlete Categorisation for Taekwondo for 2023 has been completed in line with the Athlete Categorisation Guidelines published on the Australian Taekwondo and CombatAUS websites.
The sport-industry wide National Categorisation Framework consists of five levels across the Podium Pathway: Podium, Podium Ready, Podium Potential, Developing and Emerging. The Athlete Categorisation Guidelines for Taekwondo aligns, as is required, with these five Podium Pathway categories. It also includes a sport-specific (non-industry) Associate category to reflect athletes not yet categorised across the Podium Pathway but has competed at the most recent Benchmark Event for Australia.
Athlete Categorisation will be conducted annually in the final quarter of each calendar year, to take effect from January the following year. A mid-year categorisation consideration may occur in 2023 to reflect specific performances at events such as the 2023 World Championships, or to review the performance outcomes of specific athletes highlighted by the National Categorisation Panel. These will be specific circumstances that will be committed and communicated to affected individuals.
The following Athlete Categorisations have been approved by the Australian Institute of Sport and, unless otherwise communicated to specific athletes, will apply from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023.
Mackenzie Macdonald has made history, claiming a silver medal in the women's 49kg division at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal. This marks a major milestone for the sport in Australia, with Macdonald acquiring the first ever medal at the Youth Olympic Games for Australian Taekwondo.
Mackenzie Macdonald is set to debut at the Youth Olympic Games Tonight. Click here to view her full draw and live stream link.
Australia's Para Taekwondo coaching team recently gathered on the Gold Coast for a coach development and strategic planning weekend, bringing together coaches from across the program to sharpen their skills and map out the next phase of Para Taekwondo in Australia.
The weekend was made possible through a Para Coach Development Grant funded by the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). The grant aims to deepen coaches' knowledge of the high performance para environment, helping to build coaching capability and grow Para Taekwondo across the country.
