Taekwondo at the Summer Olympics

Taekwondo at 2008 Summer Games: Taekwondo is a martial art form, which has become extremely popular all over the world. The sport developed in the Asian country, Korea. The origin of this martial art form can be traced back to the early twentieth century. Taekwondo combines three martial art forms- Chinese, Japanese and traditional Korean fighting. Taekwondo is also the national sport of Korea. The fighters participating in taekwondo competitions need to have excellent command over combat technique and self-defense. Taekwondo is also a philosophy. The sport is governed by many organizations. The most important organizations are the International Taekwondo Federation or the ITF, the International Taekwondo Alliance or the ITA and the World Taekwondo Federation or the WTF.

Taekwondo in the Summer Games: Taekwondo was introduced to the Olympics as a demonstration sport in 1988 and 1992. The sport received the status of a full medal event in the 2000 Sydney Summer Games. After the 2000 Games, taekwondo has been contested regularly at the Summer Games. Both men and women participate in the Olympic taekwondo competitions. Olympic taekwondo competition consists of a single elimination round, where the winners of the gold and the silver medals are decided. The competition is held in various weight classes. The weight classes, which are held in the Olympics, are-

Flyweight for men (less than 58 kilogram)

Flyweight for women (less than 49 kilogram)

Lightweight for men (58-68 kilogram)

Lightweight for women (49-57 kilogram)

Middleweight for men (68-80 kilogram)

Middleweight for women (57-67 kilogram)

Heavyweight for men (more than 80 kilogram)

Heavyweight for women (more than 67 kilogram)

Rules of Taekwondo: The World Taekwondo Federation or the WTF sets the rules for the taekwondo competitions at the international level. Some of the rules are-

• The length and breadth of the competition area are determined by the WTF in its rule-book.
• The attire of the participants at the international taekwondo is specified by the WTF. Any other dresses are prohibited during the combats.
• The taekwondo combat consists of three rounds, each of two minutes duration. There is a one-minute gap between two consecutive rounds.
• The techniques, which can be used during the combat is predetermined by the WTF rule-book.
• For any foul, a fighter can be warned or points can be deducted from that fighter's score. Heavy contact with the opponent can also lead to disqualification from the competition.
• Hitting the opponent targeting the illegal area is not allowed during the competition.

Medal winners in Taekwondo: Chu Mu-Yen, Oscar Salazar, Tamer Bayoumi, Michail , Gabriel EsparzaMouroutsos, Huang Chih-hsiung, Steven Lopez, Hadi Saei Bonehkohal, Myeong-Seob Song, Joon-Sik Sin, Yossef Karami, Angel Matos, Bahri Tanrikulu, Victor Estrada, Alexandros Nikolaidis, Dae Sung Moon, Kyong-Hun Kim, Pascal Gentil, Daniel Trenton, Chen Shih-Hsin, Yanelis Yuliet Labrada Diaz, Yaowapa Boorapolchai, Lauren Burns, Urbia Melendez, Shu-Ju-Chi, Nia Abdallah, Tran Hieu Ngan, Jang Ji Won, Jae-Eun Jung, Iridia Salazar, Luo Wei, Sun-Hee Lee, Trude Gundersen, Yoriko Okamoto, Natalia Ivanova, Myriam Baverel, Adriana Carmona and Chen Zhong are some of the famous names in the field of international taekwondo.