Dear Members,
The past three months have been an exciting and busy period for Australian Taekwondo, filled with major events, international competitions, new initiatives, and important steps forward for our community.
Last week, the Gold Coast Sport and Leisure Centre played host to two of the biggest events in the Australian calendar – the Australian Open and the World Taekwondo President’s Cup Oceania. These tournaments brought together an incredible field of athletes from not just Australia, but 43 countries from around the world. A total of 955 registrations for the WT President’s Cup and 977 for the Australian Open saw this event grow by over 22% on 2024. The level of competition was outstanding, and it was fantastic to see such strong participation that showcased the growth and quality of Taekwondo in our region. None of this would have been possible without the tireless efforts of the poomsae and kyorugi referees, volunteers, AT Board, CEO and staff, competition supervisor board, technical delegate Phillipe Bouedo and World Taekwondo, whose dedication and professionalism ensured both events were a great success. On behalf of the Australian Taekwondo community, I extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone involved.
Australia performed strongly on home soil, achieving outstanding results across both tournaments. Between team, pair and individual poomsae, as well as senior, para, cadet and junior kyorugi, our athletes secured an impressive 76 gold, 77 silver, and 110 bronze medals. A breakdown of these results can be found below:
| Gold | Silver | Bronze | |
| WT Presidents Cup | 37 | 35 | 58 |
| Poomsae Individual | 9 | 11 | 13 |
| Poomsae Teams & Pairs | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Kyorugi Seniors | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Kyorugi Para | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyorugi Cadets & Juniors | 25 | 20 | 38 |
| Australian Open | 39 | 42 | 52 |
| Poomsae Individual | 9 | 13 | 9 |
| Poomsae Teams & Pairs | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Kyorugi Seniors | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Kyorugi Para | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyorugi Cadets & Juniors | 25 | 24 | 36 |
Our athletes also represented the country proudly on the international stage. A team travelled to Chuncheon, Korea, for the Korean Open, where Taye Ragheb and Reba Stewart each secured bronze medals in highly competitive divisions. The event also provided a valuable platform for our Pathway Program athletes to gain international experience, with many delivering strong performances and demonstrating the promise of Australia’s next generation. Our Australian High Performance team head this week to Korea for the Muju Grand Prix Challenge, in which we wish them the best of luck.
At the same time, another Australian team headed to the World University Games in Rhine Ruhr, Germany, an opportunity for some more of our athletes who podiumed at senior selections to represent Australia in front of a global audience. The team competed hard, and was a great experience for our team.
Back at home, our focus on athlete development has continued to grow. In July, Canberra hosted a Performance Pathway Camp, bringing together athletes from across the country for an intensive week of training, education, and mentorship. Alongside high-quality sessions on the mats, athletes were able to participate in seminars on the requirements of being a professional athlete, providing invaluable insights into the broader demands of high performance sport.
Our Para Poomsae community also came together for a dedicated High Performance training day, which offered athletes the chance to receive expert coaching while connecting with peers from across the country.
We are also proud to announce an exciting new partnership with Australian Combat & Exercise, which has joined forces with Australian Taekwondo to launch Fighting Falls. This initiative is designed to support falls prevention for older adults, highlighting how Taekwondo’s values and movements can positively impact community health and wellbeing beyond the competition arena.
As we reflect on a remarkable few months, it is clear that Taekwondo in Australia continues to grow stronger across all levels – from grassroots to high performance, and across both the competitive and community spheres. I would like to thank everyone who has played a role in making this possible, including our athletes, coaches, referees, volunteers, and the wider Taekwondo families who continue to give so much to our sport.
We now look forward to the months ahead with great anticipation of our U21 Selection event in Canberra, and the National Championships in Adelaide. We continue to build pathways, strengthen our programs, and create more opportunities for Australians to engage with Taekwondo.
