China takes women's taekwondo title
Thursday, 21 August 2008
BEIJING, Aug 20 : China's Wu Jingyu claimed title in the women's 49kg category taekwondo event Wednesday, beating Thai Buttree Puedpong 1- (-1).
With the deafening cheerings from home fans, Wu launched aggressive attacks as soon as the final began and scored one point with a side kick and made the opponent get a warning penalty.
She took the lead into round 2, and in the third round, her furious attacks made Buttree almost give up counterattacks, which led to another warning penalty and finally an one-point reduction.
The responsive fans made countdowns in the last six seconds and roared to the newly-crowned who burst into tears.
"I kept calm in every match I competed today," she said.
The 21-year-old won the preliminary round and quarterfinals both with a seven-point advantage. She stepped into an intense competition with old rival Yang Shu-chun of Chinese Taipei, who beat her at the Asian championships in April.
Although Wu took a two-point lead from the beginning as she successfully loaded an axe kick on Yang's head, Yang kept making defensive kicks and managed to get one point in the second round. However, Yang failed to score more points in rest of the game and was defeated by Wu with 1-4.
"It's not that difficult as I had imagined," Wu said.
With the victory against Yang, it seemed the final is not a big deal for her.
By winning the silver, Buttree (18) made a breakthrough in Thailand's Olympic history of taekwondo events as the country's past best achievement was Yaowapa Boorapolchai's bronze at Athens Games.
Yang lost her last opportunity to get a bronze as she lost the repechage game to Cuban Daynellis Montejo, who settled for the bronze together with Dalia Contreras Rivero of Venezuela.
Yang cried after losing the match and still couldn't hold her tears in the mixed zone. In the men's 58kg event, her boyfriend Chu Mu-yen failed to retain the Olympic title and finished with a bronze.
According to a rule newly introduced at Beijing Olympics, losers to the finalists can play in the repechage to compete for two bronze medals
In another report: Mexican player Guillermo Perez claimed the title of men's 58kg taekwondo event Wednesday with superiority ruled by referees, winning the country first gold at Beijing Olympics.
He said the President of Mexico called him and said "you are the pride of our country".
"Finally my dream came true," the 29-year-old said.
Perez, silver medalist of 2007 world championships, entered the final relatively easier than 28-year-old Dominican Yulis Gabriel Mercedes, who forced his way into the final after intense competitions against defending champion Chu Mu-yen of Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals and world champion Juan Antonio Ramos in the semifinals.
The two Latin Americans finished their regular three rounds with 1-1. The referees voted to give the gold to Perez after the extra-time during which both of them failed to score a point.
Perez said the opponent was very strong.
"He fought very aggressively and he moved very quickly," he said, adding that Mercedes' tactics were also very good.
Although being disappointed by the silver a little bit, Mercedes said he's happy because the final was between two Latin American countries.
With the deafening cheerings from home fans, Wu launched aggressive attacks as soon as the final began and scored one point with a side kick and made the opponent get a warning penalty.
She took the lead into round 2, and in the third round, her furious attacks made Buttree almost give up counterattacks, which led to another warning penalty and finally an one-point reduction.
The responsive fans made countdowns in the last six seconds and roared to the newly-crowned who burst into tears.
"I kept calm in every match I competed today," she said.
The 21-year-old won the preliminary round and quarterfinals both with a seven-point advantage. She stepped into an intense competition with old rival Yang Shu-chun of Chinese Taipei, who beat her at the Asian championships in April.
Although Wu took a two-point lead from the beginning as she successfully loaded an axe kick on Yang's head, Yang kept making defensive kicks and managed to get one point in the second round. However, Yang failed to score more points in rest of the game and was defeated by Wu with 1-4.
"It's not that difficult as I had imagined," Wu said.
With the victory against Yang, it seemed the final is not a big deal for her.
By winning the silver, Buttree (18) made a breakthrough in Thailand's Olympic history of taekwondo events as the country's past best achievement was Yaowapa Boorapolchai's bronze at Athens Games.
Yang lost her last opportunity to get a bronze as she lost the repechage game to Cuban Daynellis Montejo, who settled for the bronze together with Dalia Contreras Rivero of Venezuela.
Yang cried after losing the match and still couldn't hold her tears in the mixed zone. In the men's 58kg event, her boyfriend Chu Mu-yen failed to retain the Olympic title and finished with a bronze.
According to a rule newly introduced at Beijing Olympics, losers to the finalists can play in the repechage to compete for two bronze medals
In another report: Mexican player Guillermo Perez claimed the title of men's 58kg taekwondo event Wednesday with superiority ruled by referees, winning the country first gold at Beijing Olympics.
He said the President of Mexico called him and said "you are the pride of our country".
"Finally my dream came true," the 29-year-old said.
Perez, silver medalist of 2007 world championships, entered the final relatively easier than 28-year-old Dominican Yulis Gabriel Mercedes, who forced his way into the final after intense competitions against defending champion Chu Mu-yen of Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals and world champion Juan Antonio Ramos in the semifinals.
The two Latin Americans finished their regular three rounds with 1-1. The referees voted to give the gold to Perez after the extra-time during which both of them failed to score a point.
Perez said the opponent was very strong.
"He fought very aggressively and he moved very quickly," he said, adding that Mercedes' tactics were also very good.
Although being disappointed by the silver a little bit, Mercedes said he's happy because the final was between two Latin American countries.