PARIS, France (Aug. 5, 2024) – Athletes and officials praised the extraordinary venue Paris 2024 has offered the sport and vowed to present the city with the best Olympic Taekwondo competition, ever.
Speaking at a pre-competition press conference at the French capital’s iconic Grand Palais, discussion covered venue preparation, the scale of the competitive field, and the inner thoughts of two high-profile players as they gear up for the battle ahead.
“At this Olympic Games, Taekwondo will shine,” WT President Chungwon Choue promised.
Calling the Grand Palais venue “magnificent,” Choue said. “I don’t think we will have another venue like this.”
He praised Paris for installing an effective temperature management system in the antique, glass-roofed site.
The venue’s acoustics, combined with the roar of the audience, “will create a good atmosphere for the athletes,” Technical Delegate Mohammad Shaaban said, noting that all tickets were sold out. “There is a lot of echo in the venue - it creates an amazing feeling.”
Athletes agreed.
“I feel the pressure of this event as it is in Paris and I am a French athlete,” said Althea Laurin, (W+67kg) of Team France. “As we have seen in Fencing, people are screaming a lot and you can hear everything.”
Paris 2024 is a very different competition to Tokyo 2020, held amid the global pandemic.
“Tokyo was without a crowd, it was very hard, but in Paris, it will be a very passionate crowd,” she said. “We [athletes] need to manage our feelings and stay focused, but I think we will enjoy it.”
Choue noted Taekwondo’s field of 134 athletes hail from 60 NOCs well as one AIN and a five-person refugee team. Of the NOCs, nine are participating in Olympic Taekwondo for the first time.
In an example of WT’s prioritization of gender equality, the 26 referees, coming from 26 different countries, is divided between equally between 13 males and 13 females.
“Taekwondo is the most tolerant and inclusive sport,” said WT Secretary General Jeongang Seo. “We are confident that our competition will demonstrate universality and excellence.”
One athlete who knows all about universality is Farzad Mansouri (M-80kg). After fighting for his own country, Afghanistan, in Tokyo, he is now a member of the Refugee Team. He has been preparing for Paris with Team GB.
“My heart will be with my team, and my country and my people,” he said. Regarding the IOC Refugee Team, he said, “This time, fighting for the refugee Olympic Team, I will do my best: We represent 100 million people.”
All the athletes obviously represent the sport of Taekwondo. The Olympic Games are the sport’s best once-every-four-years opportunity to showcase its attractions to the widest possible audience.
“Taekwondo is a beautiful sport, that helps develop confidence in children,” Laurin said. “We will try to make it great.”
