Skylar Park Captures First Grand Prix Gold at Taiyuan World Taekwondo Event
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Taiyuan, China (October 10, 2023) – Winnipeg’s Skylar Park captured her first ever gold medal in the Women’s -57kg Olympic weight division during the first day of competition at the Taiyuan 2023 World Taekwondo Grand Prix in China. Led by her coach and father, Master Jae Park, Skylar Park beat two 2023 World Champions on her way to her best Grand Prix podium finish of her career. With her strong performance, Park also earns critical ranking points as she sets her eyes on Paris 2024 Olympic Qualification through World Rankings.
The results for Skylar Park are as follows:
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- Round of 16: Won 2-0 over Stacey Hyman of Australia
- Quarterfinals: Won 2-0 over Luana Marton of Hungary (2023 W-57kg World Champion)
- Semi-Finals: Won 2-1 over Ahreum Lee of Korea
- Finals: Won 2-1 over Nahid Kiyanichandeh of Iran (2023 W-53kg World Champion)
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Campbellville, Ontario’s Nicholas Hoefling also recorded a strong tournament, finishing in the round of sixteen, defeating Melvy Alvarez of the United States before being eliminated by the eventual silver medalist, Korea’s Jun Jang.
“Taekwondo Canada is proud of the results of our athletes at this prestigious tournament” said Executive Director Dave Harris “Skylar Park’s performance was indicative of her skill and perseverance in capturing gold at the event. Nicholas Hoefling also performed well as he prepares for the Grand Prix Final in December.”
Taekwondo Canada’s High Performance Director, Dr. Allan Wrigley said of Canada’s gold medal, “Skylar’s Gold medal performance at the Taiyuan Grand Prix reflects the hard work and dedication she, her coach, and support team have been putting in. She was strong, resilient, and adaptable throughout. Skylar continues to improve and perform when it matters most on her way towards Paris Olympic Qualification. She is on top of her game now and we are looking forward to seeing what she can do at the Pan American Games in two weeks.”
Skylar Park will now switch her focus to the upcoming Santiago 2023 Pan Am Games where she will be joined by eight other Canadian taekwondo athletes. Taekwondo competition is set to take place from October 21st to 24th.
About Taekwondo Canada:
Taekwondo Canada is the official governing body of Taekwondo in Canada, overseeing the sport in all Provinces and Territories. Taekwondo Canada is recognized by World Taekwondo, the International Olympic Committee, PATU and Sport Canada. Taekwondo Canada will continue to be a leading nation in the sport by providing leadership and opportunities to enable its participants to achieve their goals.
Contact:
Dave Harris
Executive Director
(519) 859-7410
ed@taekwondo-canada.com
