Xinhua News Agency, Wuxi, Jiangsu, December 18 (Reporter Niu Mengtong, Wang Hengzhi) The 2023 World Taekwondo Grand Slam Championship Series and Olympic Direct Card Tournament ended in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province on the 17th, and the Chinese taekwondo team won a total of 4 Olympic tickets in 3 levels for women and 1 level for men. At this point, the crucial year for the Chinese taekwondo team to hit the Paris Olympics ticket has come to an end, and the team will devote itself to winter training and usher in the preparation stage for the Paris Olympics.
"We were very well prepared for the Olympic Straight Card Race, and the athletes were at 70 per cent of their best, which is not technically the best. Head coach Guan Jianmin admitted that after a year of intensive competition, the fatigue of the athletes was concentrated in the final stage, and it was not easy to withstand the pressure to achieve such results.
On December 16, Song Jie (right) and Zhang Mengyu in the game. In the women's 67kg final of the 2023 World Taekwondo Grand Slam Championship Series and Olympic Direct Card Competition, Chinese player Song Jie defeated teammate Zhang Mengyu and won the championship. Xinhua News Agency (photo by Huanyue)
In this direct competition, Luo Zongshi, Song Jie and other female players have good strength and stable performance. The men's form has risen sharply, Liang Yushuai boldly used the rotating leg method to hit the head at the key node of the final, and won the championship domineeringly to obtain a direct card, and young male players such as Cheng Kai and Xiao Chenming were also able to compete with the world champion in the international arena.
Guan Jianmin said that the direct match not only saw progress, but also exposed some problems, such as too few changes in Chinese players when they were focused on by their opponents. "The focus of the next winter training is to improve the efficiency of the strike, and the second is to study the change of rhythm, and the biggest problem now is in your own rhythm. ”
As this is the last year for taekwondo to earn Olympic points, and with many of the team's young players starting from zero, the team has been competing in Olympic points competitions around the world throughout the year, including the World Championships, Grand Prix and Open, sometimes every 20 days or so. Guan Jianmin said that this year is "a great challenge" for the whole team.
Liang Yushuai (right) and Marco Golubic during a match on December 16. In the men's 68kg final, China's Liang Yushuai defeated Croatia's Marko Golubic to win the championship. Xinhua News Agency (photo by Huanyue)
Rising from the men's 63kg to 68kg, Liang Yushuai said that his 2023 was full of ups and downs. "After the promotion, I lacked a bit of style and strength, I didn't stand on the podium very much, and I was a little bit psychologically shocked, but fortunately I finally adjusted my mentality and took advantage of this (straight race) opportunity. ”
In contrast, world No. 1 Luo Zongshi never seems to be worried, and this year she won a gold-filled Olympic ticket for the Chinese taekwondo team with the "double qualification" of the Olympic standings and the top of the Grand Slam standings. But when asked how she would evaluate her 2023, she summed it up with "ups and downs": "[Form] has been up and down, which is probably the way to go, from the injury to now, looking for the rhythm and feeling of the game. I'm going to go back and sum up the year and hopefully show myself at the Olympics." ”
On December 17, in the women's 67kg and above finals, China's Xiao Shunan lost to Polina Khan, who competed as a neutral athlete, and won the runner-up. Xinhua News Agency (photo by Huanyue)
After a year of high-pressure and intensive competition, the team has grown rapidly in terms of combat skills and anti-pressure psychology. At present, the Chinese taekwondo team has qualified for the Olympics in the men's 68 kg, women's 57 kg, women's 67 kg and women's 67 kg and above 67 kg categories. According to the rules of the World Taekwondo Federation, Chinese women's Guo Qing is expected to qualify for the women's 49kg category next year by virtue of her Olympic points ranking, and strive to achieve a full quota for women. The Chinese men's athlete still has a chance to make it past the last continental qualifier before next year's Olympics and challenge for a sixth Olympic ticket.
Next, the Chinese taekwondo team will seize the winter training window to make up for shortcomings and strengthen personal advantages. "The gold point should be clear, the elite soldiers should fight, and give full play to our strengths. We must do everything we can to stop making the mistakes of Tokyo (Olympics) and allow athletes to really show their strength in competitions. Guan Jianmin said.
Source: Xinhua News Agency