WUXI, China, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) — Both Luo Zongshi and Xiao Shunan took silver medals of their respective classes, incomes two extra Olympic berths for China on the 2023 World Taekwondo Grand Slam Champions Series right here on Sunday.
Despite a 2-0 defeat towards Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Tatiana Minina of Russia within the ladies’s 57kg last, Luo secured her qualification with Grand Slam factors benefit.
“In the final, my opponent displayed remarkable tenacity and excelled in close-range combat, hindering my scoring opportunities,” the 25-year-old Luo admitted. “I hadn’t met her in the previous Olympic cycle, making this experience particularly valuable.”
In the ladies’s +67kg last, Xiao misplaced to Polina Khan of Russia 2-1, however has already secured the ticket to Paris by reaching the ultimate. Zhou Zeqi of China completed in third place.
Gashim Magomedov of Azerbaijan clinched the boys’s 58kg title by defeating world champion Bae Jun-seo of South Korea, securing the berth to the Paris Olympics. China’s Cheng Kai bagged the bronze medal.
In the boys’s 80kg, Iran’s Mehran Barkhordari claimed the gold medal in addition to a ticket to Paris.