Taekwondo

Sport Overview

Taekwondo at Tokyo 2020

Venue: Makuhari Messe Hall A

Competition Dates: July 24-27, 2021 (Days 1-4)

Events: 8 (4 men, 4 women)

Trivia: Test your knowledge!

Taekwondo is a sport of power, accuracy and control in which competitors earn points by landing kicks to their opponent’s head and body as follows:

• 1 point – valid punch to the trunk protector that covers the chest area
• 2 points – valid kick to the trunk protector
• 3 points – valid kick to the head
• 4 points – valid turning kick to the trunk protector
• 5 points – valid turning kick to the head
• 1 point – awarded for every Gam-jeom (one-point penalty) to the opponent

Competitors can also win by knocking out their opponent, although this is rare at the elite level, or by default if the opponent accumulates five penalty points. Each match has three two-minute rounds. The match score is the sum of the points from the three rounds. Matches that are tied will be decided in a fourth two-minute golden point round.

There are eight events on the Olympic program, four each for men and women, which include wider weight ranges than the 16 events (eight for men, eight for women) contested at the world championships. The men’s Olympic events are -58kg, -68kg, -80kg, +80kg while the women’s Olympic events are -49kg, -57kg, -67kg, +67kg.

All events are held as single elimination tournaments, until two athletes remain. The winner of this final match is awarded the gold medal while the loser is awarded the silver. There are two bronze medals awarded. Any competitor who lost to one of the two eventual finalists is placed in a repechage. The two losing semifinalists from the main bracket advance directly to one of the two bronze medal matches with their opponents emerging from the single elimination repechage bracket.

Canada’s Olympic History (Pre-Tokyo 2020)

Canada’s first taekwondo medal came in the sport’s first Olympic appearance at Sydney 2000, when Dominique Bosshart won +67kg bronze. Karine Sergerie won 67kg silver eight years later at Beijing 2008, giving her Canada’s highest finish in taekwondo.

The best Canadian result in men’s taekwondo events are the quarterfinal appearances by Sébastien Michaud (-80kg) at Beijing 2008 and François Coulombe-Fortier (+80kg) at London 2012.