Penrith will welcome Australia's elite Taekwondo athletes this weekend as they vie for selection on the Australian national team for the World Taekwondo Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, from May 29 - June 4, 2023.
Supported by the Penrith City Council and hosted at Penrith Valley Regional Sports Centre, the event will see the country's senior black belts descend on Greater Western Sydney on Sunday, February 26.
"We are pleased to bring our Senior National Team Selection event to Penrith and thank the Penrith City Council for their interest and support of the event," said Heather Garriock, Australian Taekwondo's Chief Executive Officer.
"We're only 18 months away from the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Events like this are often critical in the selection process for Australia's Olympic Team and a number of athletes will be using the event as a pathway to potentially wear the green and gold in 2024."
Mayor of Penrith City and Councillor in East Ward Tricia Hitchen is delighted to welcome athletes and their families to the region.
“Penrith is such a great place to host incredible sporting events and we’re thrilled to be welcoming athletes and spectators back to our venues and businesses after COVID put things on hold,” Cr Hitchen said.
“I would encourage everyone visiting our City to make sure they take the time to see and enjoy all that Penrith has to offer! We really do have it all, from spectacular outdoor adventures and adrenaline attractions, to fascinating historical treasures, diverse shopping, arts and culture, and a vibrant dining and bars scene to top it off.”
“I congratulate all the athletes who are competing at this event and commend them on their dedication to their sport. I wish them well and hope you all enjoy your visit to Penrith.”
Athletes who place first in their nominated division and meet all the necessary criteria will be eligible for selection.
The maximum number of selected athletes will be no more than eight female and eight male team members for the World Taekwondo Championships.
The World Taekwondo Championships are one of the holy grails in martial arts and athletes will be giving their all to gain the opportunity to represent Australia in Baku.
The World Taekwondo Championships showcase the best senior black belts from 212 Member Nations of World Taekwondo.
Since the first World Taekwondo Championships in 1973, Australia has medalled 19 times and sits inside the top 30 countries on the all-time medal tally.
The last Australian to medal at the Senior World Taekwondo Championships was Victorian Carmen Marton, with the three-time Olympian winning gold in 2013.
In 2022, Australia claimed the Active Participation Award at the World Taekwondo Championships in Mexico.
It has been an action-packed start to 2024 for the Australian Taekwondo National Performance Pathways program and the tangible outcomes already appear promising.
Athletes kicked off the year in full force with a four-day training camp at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) Combat Centre – a multi-sport Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Canberra.
At the age of six, Amy Tierney – now the Owner and Head Instructor at Tierney’s Taekwondo Academy in NSW – discovered Taekwondo through a lucky break. Originally from Ingleburn in the south-west of Sydney, Tierney attempted to take up boxing at nearby Campbelltown PCYC, only to be told by an instructor that “girls don’t box”.
International Taekwondo events are set to return to Brisbane in 2024, with the World Taekwondo President's Cup (Oceania) and the Australian Open confirmed for September 18-22 at Nissan Arena. Open to the world's top black belts, athletes from World Taekwondo's 212 Member National Associations are invited to attend.
