Twenty rising stars will represent Australia at the World Taekwondo Junior Championships in October with the National Team now confirmed after last month's selection event in Liverpool, New South Wales.

Close to 100 junior athletes battled it out for a spot in one of the 20 divisions available, with those who placed first in their nominated division selected for the team.

The team's composition showcases Australia's diverse talent, with athletes from ten clubs across five states. This rich tapestry of skills and experiences includes nine first-timers who will get to experience this prestigious global stage. 

Athletes representing Australia at the 2024 World Taekwondo Junior Championships 

ACT: Valentina de Robertis (Forza Taekwondo), Jaidah Ly-Diep (Forza Taekwondo).

NSW: Ayva Soteriou (TAYA Taekwondo), Chelsea Gomez (TAYA Taekwondo), Gabriella Blewitt (Spirit Taekwondo), Nathan Chau (Global Martial Arts), Aden Voon (Martial Arts Spirit), Lior Cohen (Red Dragon), Jack Orchard (Martial Arts Spirit), Lachlan Orchard (Martial Arts Spirit), Aisha Chahal (Global Martial Arts).

QLD: Amarlie Evans (Global Martial Arts Brisbane), Ryan Yoo (Global Martial Arts Brisbane)

SA: Akon Baak (Total Taekwondo Academy)

VIC: Ruby Pappas (Notorious Martial Arts), Mason Harrison (Notorious Martial Arts), Leo Hollis (Notorious Martial Arts), Christian Massimino (Team Carlo), Bianca Pavia (Hall's Taekwondo), Aiden Stilley (Hall's Taekwondo).

Dr Seokhun Lee, who will lead the group as Head of Team, will be supported by Head Coach Jerry Moraitis from Hall's Taekwondo and Team Manager Anne-Marie Smith from Spirit Taekwondo. Bolstering the coaching group further will be coaches Ali Khalil and Sadhbh Sweeney from Global Martial Arts, and Abby Sangalang from Taya Taekwondo. Dongmin Cha, Australian Taekwondo's High Performance Technical Advisor, will provide further support. Medical support will be provided by Doctor Joe Tamer and Christine Cha.

It's been two years since Australia's memorable triumph at the Junior World Championships. Matthew Summerfield, from Rawlins Martial Arts and Taekwondo in Western Australia, led the charge, securing a bronze medal after a brilliant run to the Semi-Finals. 

Summerfield's performance broke a 14-year medal drought for Australia after Chloe Iriyadi from Notorious Martial Arts claimed a silver medal at the 2008 Junior World Taekwondo Championships in the W-63 division. 

The World Taekwondo Junior Championships, established in 1996 in Barcelona, is a prestigious biennial event organised by World Taekwondo for junior competitors. The championship occurs every two years.

The Junior World Championships are scheduled to take place in Chuncheon, Korea, October 1-6. 

The challenge for Junior athletes, our next cycle of Olympians, is limited funding. Like many sports, the junior elite participation level is significantly underfunded and puts significant strain on athletes and their families. 

To help support the Australian Junior National Team, Australian Taekwondo, through its partner, the Australian Sports Foundation, has set up a fundraising page, with 100% of donations going directly to support our athletes and their travel and accommodation costs. If you would like to donate, please click here . All donations are tax deductible and trackable with details to be displayed in Australian Taekwondo's 2024 Annual Report for complete transparency.