CHUNCHEON, Korea (Oct 1, 2024) - There was double joy for Iran on the first day of the World Taekwondo Junior Championships in Chuncheon, Korea through Parnian Noori and Aynaz Nasiri, and Jaebin Jung gave the host nation a gold medal to celebrate.
Noori overcame China’s Yinuo Xu in an intriguing women’s -52kg final to become the first junior world champion crowned in Chuncheon, and her feat was later matched by her compatriot Nasiri, who staved off the challenge of Kazakhstan’s Nuray Kaznabek in the women’s -59kg. Bronze medals went to Sila Irmak Uzunçavdar of Türkiye and Spain’s Noa Romero Fernandez in the -52kg weight category, and Ella Brewster of Canada and Croatia’s Marija Uglešić in the -59kg.
Either side of the gold medal matches in those weight divisions, Jung of Korea delivered an outstanding display to defeat Bulgaria’s Stanislav Mitkov in the men’s -63kg final. Jung also scored highly in his semi-final against David Valdés Vázquez of Mexico, who claimed a bronze medal along with Azerbaijan’s Vasif Salimov.
Women’s -52kg
The first final of the Chuncheon 2024 World Taekwondo Junior Championships saw Noori contesting Xu, and the early stages were tense. Indeed, it took until just over 10 seconds remaining of the first round for Noori to find the breakthrough with a push kick which yielded two two-point scores, and she went on to close it out 4-1.
Noori delivered an impressive display throughout the second round to seal the gold medal, aided by a head kick awarded after a video replay request. Xu put up a strong fight despite falling 11-1 behind, but it was Noori prevailed 15-8 to win the first gold medal of the Championships.
The Iranian only dropped one round on her way from the round of 64 to victory, that coming against Thailand’s Panbua Moramat in the round of 16. Her semi-final against Romero Fernandez was settled in two closely fought rounds, as was Xu’s victory over Uzunçavdar.
Men’s -63kg
The 18-year-old home favourite Jung had an age advantage over his 16-year-old opponent Mitkov in the second final of the evening, but that is to take nothing away from a sublime performance which enabled him to take both rounds 13-1.
Jung’s power and technical ability were on show in both rounds of the final, as they were against in the semi-final against Valdés Vázquez in which he also scored highly to triumph 19-17 and 22-9 in the two rounds. Those matches completed a run to the gold medal in which he did not lose a single round.
Mitkov had also impressed throughout the competition, not least in the semi-final when he took the two rounds 8-0 and 13-1 against Salimov.
Women’s -59kg
In the last final of the first day of competition, Nasiri and Kaznabek delivered a gripping match until the end of both rounds, but it was the Iranian who emerged victorious. Nasiri enjoyed a 17cm height advantage over her opponent, but for much of the first round there was only a Gam-Jeom from Kaznabek which separated the pair. However, Nasiri finished strongly with a push kick to the body and resulting Gam-Jeom for Kaznabek which gave her a 4-0 win.
Nasiri looked to have control of the second round as she led 3-0, but a stunning head kick by Kaznabek brought her level. However, it was to be Nasiri’s day in Chuncheon, and she took the second round 5-4 and sealed Iran’s second gold medal of the day.
It was a remarkable journey to victory for Nasiri, who had to come from one round behind to win her quarter-final against Serbia’s Vanja Rankov and her semi-final against Uglešić.
On the other side of the draw, Kaznabek also needed a comeback to beat Brewster in the semi-final.
The World Taekwondo Junior Championships runs until October 6, with competition to be held in the men’s +78kg and -45kg, and the women’s +68kg and -46kg tomorrow.
