TAEKWONDO: Earlier this month, Australia’s best Taekwondo competitors participated in back to back competitions across the 2018 Oceania Taekwondo Championships and the Presidents Cup, both in Tahiti, bringing home a staggering 99 medals, with 47 coming from the Oceania Championships and 52 coming from the Presidents Cup.

The Oceania Championships medal tally was split into 24 gold, 15 silver and 8 bronze across male and female senior, cadet and junior categories with Australia dominating the gold.

The event took place just two days after the Presidents Cup, making for some gruelling back to back competition.

Some of the largest gold medal hauls from the Oceania Championships came from youngsters Reba Stewart, Rhiannon Stilley, Rachael Stephens and Cameron Moyes who were able to secure between two and three gold medals each.

Stewart won gold in both the +63kg female junior and the +67kg female junior events, with Stilley taking out gold in the cadet pairs with Moyes and the cadet teams with Tayla Verdino and Tanisha Schulz.

Stephens collected two more gold for Australia in the Individual Female Junior and the Junior Female Team with Julia Hiron and Shannyn Bourke.

Along with his gold in the cadet pairs with Stewart, Moyes also took out first place in the Junior Male Team with Daniel Hiron and Shaquille Wakit as well as the gold in the Individual Male Cadet and silver in the 49kg Male Cadet.

Honourable mention also goes to Taylor Verdino who claimed one gold, one silver and one bronze medal.

Throughout the Presidents Cup event the Australian Team picked up another 52 medals including 20 gold, 14 silver and 19 bronze across Sparring and Poomsae.

At just 16-years old, Tamzin Christoffel took home gold in both the Oceania Championships and the Presidents Cup in the -49kg category, while Arash Mozdel was also a recipient of dual-competition gold in the 80+kg category.

Leon Sejranovic, Anastasia Typou, Carmen Marton, Ruth Hock, Bailey Lewis, Arash Mozdeh Jouybari and Eisa Mozdeh Jouybari claimed gold in their respective Presidents Cup categories, while Reba Stewart, Safwan Khalil, Thomas Auger, Jack Marton, Stacey Hymer, Katarzyna Bartnikowska, David Park and Sofia Typou found silver.

Bronze went to Saffron Tambyrajah, Bridie Keogh, Kyah English, Tassya Stevens, Chelsea Hobday, Adrian Abela, Thomas Afonczenko, Will Afonczenko, Cameron Taylor, Adam Meyers, Fred Pace, Cameron Moyes and Lauren Stevenson.

Liana Buratti
olympics.com.au