It’s been a tough morning for the Australian side at the Taekwondo as they watched China and Chinese Taipei blitz into the final rounds.

Safety did not come in numbers for the Australians, who outnumber their international opposition. They fired against the five other international squads with a barrage of kick combinations and stealthy footwork from yesterday’s training session.

Despite some strong performances, the young Aussies are just clinging on, with only three fighters progressing to under 63kg finals.

Officials reported some disappointing losses in the female division, with young hopeful, Erin Wakefield, losing her semi-final match to her Chinese Taipei opponent. She’ll join Julie Dawson in the repercharge rounds against their fellow Aussie teammates for a chance to pick up a bronze medal.

“They’ve beaten a lot of Australians, so they’re very good,” Dawson said of the tough fight against the Chinese Taipei underdogs.

Jessica Alridge was the only female who could weather the aggression. She’ll move into the gold medal round after her victory against Chinese Taipei’s Christina No.

On the other end of the mat, the Australian boys delivered, with Gabriel Andress and Christopher Beach taking their game into this afternoon’s finals.

Medical staff are standing by in case of an accident, with two doctors, a physiotherapist and a pharmacist at the ready for any emergencies.

“A clear shot to the head will knock someone out,” NSW Taekwondo physiotherapist, Tony Su said.

Yoni Bashan
AYOF