Taekwondo practitioners Adriana Cerezo and Adrián Vicente assertively establish their presence in the French capital's taekwondo scene through physical combat techniques like punching and kicking.
3 min. A martial art formerly a demo sport, taekwondo shined in the spotlight when it graced the stage at Sydney 2000, embarking on its Olympic journey. Paris 2024 prepares to receive two determined Spaniards: Adriana Cerezo and Adrián Vicente. Both athlete's eyes are set on the gold, eager to leave their mark on the taekwondo world.
Cerezo, at just 21, already held a silver medal from Tokyo 2020, her youthful victory over the Thai Panipak Wongpattanakit a testament to her potential. The Spaniard currently stands behind Wongpattanakit in the -49 kg ranking, but her recent victories, like her triumph at the European Taekwondo Championships, indicate a fight worth watching.
Vicente, age 25, boasts more experience than his teammate. His bronze at the latest European Championship, gold at the 2023 European Games, and the World Championship bronze from the previous year have placed him at the top of the -58 kg classification. Vicente finished ninth in Tokyo and is now determined to redeem himself with a medal in Paris.
While Cerezo and Vicente lead the charge, don't overlook the contributions of Javier Pérez and Cecilia Castro. Pérez competes in the -68 kg category, bringing previous Olympic experience to the team, and Castro qualifies through the Bulgaria Pre-Olympic for the -67 kg category.
Bouts Last Three Rounds with a Focus on Technique
Originating in Asia, specifically Korea, taekwondo has evolved into a distinctive martial art with a focus on the legs. In the Olympics, World Taekwondo Federation rules are followed, with contests every two years like the World Championship. The latest World Championship took place in Azerbaijan in 2023, with Adriana Cerezo earning a bronze.
Matches in this sport consist of three rounds, with each round lasting two minutes separated by a one-minute rest. The competitor who triumphs in two out of three rounds wins. However, a victory can also be secured through an opponent's withdrawal, the accumulation of fouls, or a KO, a rare event in taekwondo.
Points in each round are achieved by striking an opponent effectively and accurately. Only hits on the middle of the body, protected by a chest guard, and to the head are valid, with a helmet being essential for competitors. The athletes' protections register the contests through sensors. Although taekwondo emphasizes kicking, punches can score points as well: 1 point for a strike to the trunk, 2 points for a punch, and 3 points for striking the head head. The highest scores come when a kick includes a spin from the athlete delivering the blow, earning 4 points for a hit to the trunk and 5 points for one on the head.
If no clear hits occur during a round, the judges declare the winner as the competitor who best demonstrated their techniques. The judges can also award a point for each infraction or Gam-jeon, including leaving the mat, failing to respect the Kal-yeo (referee's warning), or other rule violations.
Spain's Olympic Taekwondo Success
Spain has claimed a significant foothold in Olympic taekwondo, with multiple medal wins since the sport's inception in the Games. While Spain has yet to achieve a gold medal in Olympic taekwondo at the senior level outside of London 2012, the country has still made a notable impact.
London 2012 marked a milestone for Spain as Joel González clinched the gold medal in the men's 58kg division. This achievement is significant since it was Spain's inaugural Olympic taekwondo gold medal. Beyond González, no other Spanish senior-level Olympic taekwondo medalists are found in the available information. However, recent successes in international competitions indicate a promising future for Spanish taekwondo.
In the world of taekwondo, where points are scored through effective and accurate kicks and punches, Adriana Cerezo and Adrián Vicente are eager to surpass their previous successes. The average score in a match, consisting of three two-minute rounds, can reach as high as 27 points if an athlete manages to execute spinning kicks accurately, scoring up to 5 points per head hit. Both Cerezo and Vicente, representing Spain in Paris 2024, aim to boost Spain's average score in Olympic taekwondo, aspiring to claim gold and continue Spain's trend of distinction in sports like football and taekwondo.
