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OLYMPIC TAEKWONDO PLAYERS

This section of the site shows a series of players in various weight divisions and from different countries who won medals at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.


HAI SAEI BONEHKOHAL: MALE OLYMPIC FEATHER:GOLD

IRAN

Name: Hadi Saei Boneh Kohal
Age: 27
Grade: 3rd Dan
Height: 1.83 m / 6'0"
Weight: Light
Titles:
1995 World Military Taekwondo Championships SILVER
1996
World Military Taekwondo Championships BRONZE
1998
World Taekwondo Cup GOLD
1999 World Taekwondo Championships GOLD
2000 World Taekwondo Cup GOLD
2000 Sydney Olympic Games BRONZE
2001
World Taekwondo Cup GOLD
2002
Asian Taekwondo Championships SILVER
2002
World Taekwondo Cup GOLD
2002 Busan Asian Games GOLD
2003
World Taekwondo Championships SILVER
2004 Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament GOLD
2004 Athens Olympic Games GOLD

By far the best Light weight fighter ever to play in Sport Taekwondo. Hadi Saei has won every honour possible in his fifteen years of Taekwondo and fulfilled this even more by winning the Olympic Gold at the recent Athens Olympic Games. Despite his age he has proven himself to be one of the most memorable Taekwondo players in the world. With the Olympic crown now firmly on his head many question on whether or not he will retire from the games as he faces many formidable opponents from across the world. However with a career high now in the bag I think we we can expect to see Hadi in Madrid next year!

HUANG HSIUNG CHIH:MALE OLYMPIC FEATHER:SILVER

CHINESE TAIPEI

Name: Hsiung Huang Chih
Age: 27
Height: 1.72 m / 5'8"
Grade: 3rd Dan
Weight: Olympic Feather
Titles:
1996
Asian Taekwondo Championships SILVER
1999
East Asian Games SILVER
1997
World Taekwondo Championships GOLD
2002
Sydney Olympic Games BRONZE
2002
Busan Asian Games GOLD
2003
World Taekwondo Championships GOLD
2004
Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament BRONZE
2004
Athens Olympic Games SILVER

Huang is an unpredictable yet excellent player who has undoubted talent and skill. With countless opens under his belt he is mainly seen on the Asian circuit. With an exciting bronze medal placing in the Olympics Huang looks promising for the future. In the 2001 World Championships however he was unfortunate to be beaten by Kang Nam Won from Korea as he lost by a draw on 6:6. However over the last year he has proved superbly strong by winning Gold in the Asian Games and the World Championships with an exciting quarter final battle against the Korean Bantam weight. He attended the World Taekwondo Olympic Qualifiers in Paris, France competing in Olympic Feather weight division -68 but failed to qualify. However he sucurred his ticket to Athens by winning the bronze at the Asian Qualification tournament and has been playing at -67 all season to prepare himself for the games. His Silver medal win at the Olympic Games was astounding as he beat some seasoned Feather and Light weights along the way. However the strength, determination and play of Hadi Saei proved to much for him in the end. He has quoted that he will retire after the Games but with the taste of Olympic glory in his mouth, who knows we may see him in Madrid next year!


SEONG MYEONG SEOB:MALE OLYMPIC FEATHER:BRONZE

KOREA

Name: Seong Myeong Seob
Age: 20
Height:  177/5'10''
Grade: 3rd Dan
Weight: Olympic Feather
Titles:
2004 Athens Olympic Games BRONZE

Seong Myeong Seob is a very new player on botht eh International circuit and the Korean National circuit. At only 20 years old he has proven that he can fight with the best and bring in the results for the Korean team. He was unfortunate to miss out on a better result after losing a 9-9 descision against Iran's Hadi Saei. With him included in the Feather weight division of the Korean team of the worlds the Koreans could ultimatly have an amazing male line up for next years worlds as Kang Nam Won may push back down to Bantam again and Kim Kyo Sik at male Light weight. Definetely one to keep an eye out for in Madrid next year.

JANG JI WON:FEMALE OLYMPIC FEATHER:GOLD

KOREA

Name: Jang Ji Won
Age: 25
Height: 1.74 m / 5'9"
Grade: 3rd Dan
Weight: Olympic Feather
Titles:
2001
World Taekwondo Championships GOLD
2003 World Taekwondo Olympic Qualification Tournament GOLD
2004 Athens Olympic Games GOLD

Another excellent and promising young player who has been quietly locked away by the Korean team especially for the Olympic Games. She won gold back at the 2001 Jeju World Championships by winning Iridia Salazar in the final and proved at that point she had what it took to win an Olympic title. It has taken her 3 years to realise her Olympic dream by beating the inexperienced Nia Abdallah of the USA in the final. Now with her Olympic dream realised Im sure we will see more of her on the International circuit and hopefully on the Korean National team for the 200 World Championships.



NIA ABDALLAH:FEMALE OLYMPIC FEATHER:SILVER

USA

Name: Nia Abdallah
Age: 20
Height: 1.75 m / 5'9"
Weight: Olympic Feather
Titles:
2003 Pan American Games BRONZE
2004 Pan Am Olympic Qualification Tournament BRONZE
2004 Athens Olympic Games SILVER

Nia Abdallah is another new fighter on the international Taekwondo circuit. She fought at her first Taekwondo international at the Pan American Games where she won a bronze. She won her Olympic ticket by beating the American favourite at home, Diana Lopez, under much controversy. She then won a bronze at the Pan Am Qualifier to ensure her place in Athens. Nia is very tall for her weight class and is a very long legged fighter who uses this to her advantage. She often goes for head shots in order to tally up a great score. However she was outclassed in the final of the Olympics by Korea's Jang Ji Won but there is still plenty to see in the future from Nia Abdallah.

IRIDIA SALAZAR BLANCO:FEMALE OLYMPIC FEATHER:BRONZE

MEXICO

Name: Iridia Salazar Blanco
Age: 22
Height: 1.72 m / 5'8"
Grade: 3rd Dan
Weight: Olympic Feather
Titles:
1998 Junior World Taekwondo Championships BRONZE
1999
World Taekwondo Championships SILVER
2000
World Taekwondo Cup GOLD
2001
World Taekwondo Championships SILVER
2001
World Taekwondo Cup BRONZE
2002
World Taekwondo Cup GOLD
2003
World Taekwondo Championships SILVER
2003 Pan American Olympic Qualification Tournament GOLD
2004 Athens Olympic Games BRONZE

Iridia Salazar is also another young and talented athlete who hails from Mexico. She has won countless medals since 1998 and has performed consistently for years. She is also another player who is very erratic in her style of play. She relies on strong bitchagi's and punches when she is in close and bullies her opponents into submission. However her only problem is when she comes up against clever opposition she is usually beaten. She is very unfortunate not to have won a World title yet as she has got only silver in the last 3. She failed to qualify in the World Qualifying tournament for the Olympics yet she did qualify for the Games by winning gold in the Pan American Qualifiers in January. She was a favourite for the Olympic gold at the feather weight division with only a few opponents from Korea, France and Greece standing in her way. However it was not to be her day as she wa beaten in the Semi's by Korea and took Bronze in the repechage.


STEVEN LOPEZ:MALE OLYMPIC WELTER:GOLD

USA

Name: Steven Lopez
Age: 25
Height: 1.90 m / 6'3"
Weight: Olympic Welter
Titles:
1994 World Taekwondo Cup BRONZE
1994
Pan American Taekwondo Championships SILVER
1996
World Junior Taekwondo Championships GOLD
1996
Pan American Taekwondo Championships GOLD
1997 World Taekwondo Cup GOLD
1998 World Taekwondo Cup BRONZE
1998
Pan American Taekwondo Championships GOLD
1999
Pan American Games GOLD
1999 Pan Am Olympic Qualification Tournament SILVER
2000 Sydney Olympic Games GOLD
2001 World Taekwondo Championships GOLD
2002: World Taekwondo Cup BRONZE
2002 Pan American Games GOLD
2003 World Taekwondo Championships GOLD
2003 World Taekwondo Qualification Tournament BRONZE
2004 Athens Olympic Games GOLD

Steven Lopez amazing career record speaks for itself. With an amazing 10 International record Golds at the tender age of 25, many believe he is the greatest ever player of all time. He has made a few shock moves of late such as moving weight in the Olympic weight category from -68 to -80 and by also moving weight in the World weight category from -72 to -78. His performance in the 2003 World Taekwondo Championships was stunning and he earned a well deserved Gold for his efforts. His rivalry between Youseff Karami of Iran was one of the highlights of the Games and many still speculate on whether or not he can handle Karami's game as he only beat him by a point. Another Olympic Gold for him in 2004 proved he is an all time great. Despite his recent appearance in Welter weight, he has already proved that he is number 1 in Welter weight division. Will it be World Gold number 3 in Madrid? And in what weight catagory this time?

BAHRI TANRIKULU:MALE OLYMPIC WELTER:SILVER

TURKEY

Name: Bahri Tanrikulu
Age: 24

Height: 1.87 m / 6'2"
Grade: 3rd Dan
Weight: Olympic Welter
Titles:
1998 European Taekwondo Championships BRONZE
1999
World Taekwondo Championships SILVER
2000
European Taekwondo Championships GOLD
2001
World Taekwondo Championships GOLD
2002
European Taekwondo Championships GOLD
2002
World Taekwondo Cup SILVER
2003
World Taekwondo Championships BRONZE
2004 European Olympic Qualification Tournament GOLD
2004 European Taekwondo Championships BRONZE

Bahri Tanrikulu has been on the World Circuit for around five years now and has won a host of titles. At the young age of 23 he still has plenty of time to add many Taekwondo titles to his list. He has already won the World and European titles respectively and now sets his sights on an Olympic medal. He was unfortunate to lose out for a place in the 2000 Olympics as he was beaten in the 1999 World Qualification tournament. His performance in the World Championships was outstanding as he has a style of play which is unique to the Turkish team where he crouches low and counter attacks with blistering speed. He recently won the Gold medal at the Olympic Qualification tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan securing his place in the 2004 Olympic Games. He did well in the final of the Olympic Games by trying many tactics to get around the notorious left leg of Steven Lopez and won a well earned silver medal. Has he shown people the way to beat Lopez? Only time will tell.


Buy the Elite Taekwondo World Medallists 2003 at TKD DVD (Click on image to go direct to TKD DVD sales page)