Stewart made a cautious start in her Olympic debut, with her opponent, the 6th seed Polish fighter Aleksandra Kowalczuk dominating the early exchanges, posting 4 points to nil lead at the end of the opening round. 

The Victorian gained confidence as the fight continued, trading blows with her more experienced opponent, trailing 7 points to 2 at the completion of the second round. 

The final round was a tale of ‘cat and mouse’ with neither fighter able to land any point scoring shots. The Polish fighter posted an 7 points to 2 victory. 

Taekwondo competition has now come to a close at the Tokyo Games, with the 4 strong Australian team gaining valuable experience as their international careers continue. 

Damian Kelly