Thrilling contests were underway at European Para Taekwondo C'ships, Asia Para Taekwondo Open C'ships and Pan America Para Taekwondo C'ships, as athletes showed glimpses of what's coming up in Paris in three month's time

With the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games less than 100 days to go, Para athletes are gearing up for the all-important event in style.

In a busy month of May which saw several championships held in three different continents, Paralympic and world champions showcased amazing skills and determination. They focused on their only goal – to perform better at the Paralympic Games.

While for others, they are striving to make the cut for the Games. In either way, the competitions are getting exciting as the race to Paris 2024 qualification closes in.

The 2024 European Para Taekwondo Championships witnessed new names on the podium even as top stars continued their good run and stamped their dominance.

In a star-studded field of 89 athletes (38 females and 51 men) from 23 countries + 2 refugees + AIN athletes, Greece women displayed strong technique and skills to finish on the podiums.

In Women K44 – 65kg, Greece's Christina Gkentzou came out of nowhere to grab the gold medal. She first shocked Great Britain’s top ranked Beth Munro, a World and Paralympic medallist, in the quarter-finals before winning the final against Djelika Diallo of France.

Meanwhile, Eleni Papastamatopoulou, who had already qualified for Paris 2024, made sure to put Greece in the podium taking the silver in Women K44 +65kg.

In the men’s events, reigning world champions and top seeds Asaf Yasur from Israel (Men K44 -58kg) and Azerbaijan’s Imamaddin Khalilov (Men K44 -70kg) extended their dominance.

However, the star-studded Turkish team failed to put up a strong show with Gemze Gurdal (Women K44 -57kg) managing the only gold for the team.

Turkey's stars Ali Can Ozcan (M -58kg), European champion and bronze medallist at Worlds, Fatih Celik (M-70 kg), Taiyuan and Paris 2023 champion and Mahmut Bozteke (M -63kg), winner of Taiyuan 2023 GP and Manchester 2023 GP, all managed silver medals.

Overall it was Mongolia, who topped the medals table with two gold medals – thanks to Bolor-erdene Ganbat’s (Men K44 -63kg) and Surenjav Ulambayar’s (Women K44 -52kg) efforts.

The excitement continued to De Nang, Vietnam which hosted the 9th Asian Para Taekwondo Open Championships recently.

Iran topped the medals table with four gold – highlighted by the fights won by Zahra Rahimi (Women K44 -57kg) and Maryam Abdollahpour Deroei (Women K44 -47kg).

Lesser-known Rahimi sprang a surprise winning her match over higher ranked players including Palesha Goverdhan, the Asian Para Games bronze medallist. She continued the momentum to beat Kazakhstan’s Dosmalova Kamilya, the Hangzhou 2022 silver medallist, before taking her first international gold.

In Women K44 -47kg, Abdollahpour Deroei, world no. 5, was in a red hot form to first upset top seed and reigning world champion Isakova Ziyodakhon from Uzbekistan (4-0) before winning the final against Mexican star Claudia Romero. 

The men’s events were keenly contested with Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games gold medallists Mahdi Pourrahnama (Men K44 -70kg) and Hamed Haghshenas (Men K44 +80kg) taking the gold medals for Iran.

Among other winners were: Surenjav Ulambayar (Women K44 -52kg) and Bolor-Erdene Ganbat (Men K44 - 63kg), both World and Asian Para Games medalists who clinched the gold medals for Mongolia. The gold medals were their second after their show in Serbia. 

Uzbekistan’s Naimova Guljonoy (Women K44 +65kg) and Xiang Wen Xiao (Men K44 -58kg) prepared for Paris with impressive shows winning their respective events.

Earlier, the action in the month began with the Pan Am Para Taekwondo Championships, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil on May 3, 2024 which had as many as 63 athletes (27 female and 36 male) from 14+1 countries in participation.

Among the prominent names from Brazil who claimed the gold medals are: Ana Carolina Silva (Women K44 -65kg), Debora Menezes (Women K44 +65kg), Maria Eduarda Machado (Women K44 -52kg), all of whom are World Championships medallists. 

Costa Rica’s Andres Molina claimed his second gold medal of his career in Men K44 -80kg after his winning show at the Santiago 2023 Parapan Am Games.

Para Taekwondo will feature for the second time in Asian Youth Para Games programme in Tashkent 2025 after its successful debut in Bahrain 2021 Games

Para Taekwondo has been announced as one of the 10 sports to feature at the next edition of the Asian Youth Para Games to take place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan during September- October 2025.

The full list of sports included in the programme are Para Athletics, Para-Armwrestling, Para Cycling, Goalball, Para Judo, Para Powerlifting, Para Swimming, Para Canoe, Para Taekwondo and Para Academic Rowing, it was announced by the Asian Paralympic Committee recently.

Nine of these 10 sports are Paralympic sports and will feature in the upcoming Paris 2024 Games.

It is the second time Para Taekwondo will feature in Asian Youth Para Games sports programme after its successful debut at the last edition - Bahrain 2021 Asian Youth Para Games.

“After careful review of the Games’ standards and sports federations’ requirements, we are pleased to announce the sport programme of the 5th Asian Youth Para Games,” Asian Paralympic Committee President Majid Rashed said.

“The youth Games are an opportunity to introduce, grow and promote a new sport in the region. Previously also, we have had the chance to promote a sport in our programmes and there has been a lot of excitement.”

He was delighted that most of the sports featuring in Tashkent are part of the Paralympic Games programme and hoped to see a strong competition among the future Asian Para Games and Paralympic champions.

The Tashkent 2025 Games will be also the first Asian Youth Para Games hosted in the same city and by the same organisers of the Asian Youth Games. It will be the fifth edition of the Asian Youth Para Games and is expected to witness participation of around 1000 athletes in 10 sports.

(International Para Taekwondo Coach Certification Level II required for all coaches)

Great Britain's Para Taekwondo star Amy Truesdale has acknowledged the support of Nutrition X in her preparation to win her first gold medal at the Paralympic Games in Paris.

"Nutrition X has been a great support to my training. Ensuring I am well fuelled and prepared for fighting on the world stage," wrote the European champion Truesdale on her Instagram handle.

Nutrition X is UK's number one choice in sports nutrition for elite athletes & professional sports clubs with the purpose to provide athletes with powerful and effective nutrition that they can trust.

"We love working with current European champion @truesdaleamy," the post mentioned.

Truesdale is a three-time world champion and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic bronze medallist in Women K44 +65kg weight category.