Australia enjoyed an impressive campaign at the WT President’s Cup, with six athletes stepping onto the podium and delivering strong performances across the tournament. Winning two silver medals and four bronze, the Australian team showed its quality, resilience, marking their territory on home soil.

Juliet Lahood was one of Australia’s standout performers, after a long absence from the competitive taekwondo scene it took her no time at all to find her rhythm and make a statement. Lahood showed excellent skill and consistency through her four fights, claiming the silver medal after losing to Russia in the gold medal match. She started the day with a 2-0 win over Hong Kong, before powering through the second-seeded athlete from Chinese Taipei. In her Semi Final, she faced the third-seeded Japanese fighter, where a low-scoring match saw the first two rounds decided in the last ten seconds. Lahood maintained her composure and won the third round 13-4. Her result was a strong reflection of her preparation and ability to compete at a high level against quality opposition. CLICK HERE to hear from Juliet herself!

Xavier Nikolovski also claimed silver, producing an impressive campaign that highlighted both his technical ability and competitive maturity. Winning his first fight against Australia's Beau Brecely and both rounds by points gap, the experience really shun through. Beating Japan 2-0 in his quarterfinal, it was the Semi that was the true test for Nikolovski. After winning a 17-16 first round, his opponent hit back hard and kept scoring in the second. Going right to the end, Xavier was able to get ahead to advance to the final. Nikolovski lost each round by only 2 points in the final, and will get his chance again to go one better at the Australian Open. CLICK HERE to listen what Xavier had to say.

Gaby Blewitt earned a bronze medal after a confident and hard-fought tournament. Blewitt demonstrated determination and strong ring presence, and was great in a 2-0 win over one of Australia's rising stars Mila Clark. She was not able to replicate her success against Chinese Taipei in the semi final, who controlled the match to her tempo. Blewitt will hoping for a rematch tomorrow. 

Matty Summerfield also finished with bronze, capping off a strong start to the year with another deserved podium result. Summerfield was terrific in his first two fights against Chinese Taipei and another junior on the rise in Lachlan Orchard. In the semi-final against a very active Jordonian fighter, Summerfield took it all the way to round 3 with the first two rounds decided within 2 points. A very gritty third round and a few untimely gam-jeoms meant that Summerfield was on the backfoot and was 3 points shy of advancing. He will be looking for redemption tommorow at the Australian Open.

Rebecca Murray added to Australia’s medal tally with a bronze medal delivering a determined effort across the competition. Murray was fantastic is a close contest against Chinese Taipei, showing real heart to get through to a medal match. Her Semi-final was even closer, tying the second round 7-7 but losing on superiority. Murray’s performance showcased her commitment and ability to rise to the occasion, earning her a place among the event’s top finishers. Her result was a fitting reward for a strong tournament and helped complete an excellent overall showing for the Australian team.

Aiden Stilley rounded out the Australian medallists with a bronze medal, produced through grit, discipline, and a competitive mindset. In his first fight Aiden was dominate winning the first round so quickly if you blinked you would have missed it, flexing his muscles against his New Zealand neighbour. In the Semi Final his Russian opponent came out of the fast, and Stilley was not able to recover in time. Stilley showed resilience across the event and delivered when it mattered most to ensure a place on the podium. His performance was another positive sign of Australia’s depth and strength in the competition.

With six podium finishes, two silver and four bronze, Australia can take great pride in its results at the WT President’s Cup. The performances of Juliet Lahood, Xavier Nikolovski, Gaby Blewitt, Aiden Stilleh, Matty Summerfield, and Rebecca Murray reflect the strength of the nation’s taekwondo program and provide plenty of encouragement for the competitions ahead. These athletes will be looking to break through to the upper echelon tommorow at the Australian Open, with some of the other Australian HP guys hoping to push deep into the tournament.