Taekwondo Canada Athletes Named to 2024 Continental Qualifier
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Ottawa, ON – Taekwondo Canada is pleased to announce the Canadian athletes who will be competing in the 2024 Pan American Olympic Qualifier to be held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, April 9th and 10th.
Taekwondo Canada has the potential to earn a maximum of two male and one female quota spots for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games through this tournament. Josipa Kafadar F-49kg (Burnaby, B.C.), Braven Park M-58kg (Winnipeg, MB) and Marc-André Bergeron M+80kg (Quebec City, QC) will all be competing with the ultimate goal of finishing Top 2 in each of their respective divisions, thereby earning a quota spot for the Paris Games alongside Winnipeg’s Skylar Park who has already earned a quota spot for Canada through her World Taekwondo Olympic ranking.
The athletes earned their opportunity to compete at the Qualifier by winning their divisions at Taekwondo Canada’s Pre-Qualification Tournament held in November 2023. Upon completion of the tournament, the High Performance Director underwent a review and evaluation of all division winners and selected these three athletes as they demonstrated the greatest potential for Taekwondo Canada to earn additional quota sports for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Background information on Taekwondo Canada’s athletes for the 2024 Continental Qualifier can be found below:
Josipa Kafadar
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- Winner of the Canadian F-49kg division.
- Competing in the deepest female division in Canada with two competitors regularly competing at Grand Prix Series events and up-and coming athletes just entering the Senior division that included a recent gold medalist from the 2023 President’s Cup.
- 2017 Junior Pan American Championships gold medalist, a 2018 World Taekwondo Junior silver medalist, and has competed at the 2021 Junior Pan American Games.
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Braven Park
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- Winner of the Canadian M-58kg division.
- Competed in the deepest male division in Canada with a Top 20 WT Olympic division athlete as well as both strong established Senior athletes and new talent moving up from Junior.
- Has competed at the last 2 World Taekwondo Championships, the 2023 Pan American Games, and regularly competes on the Grand Prix Series.
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Marc-André Bergeron
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- Winner of the Canadian M+80kg division.
- Winning his first international medal in 2012, has been a member of the Senior National Team since 2013 and has represented Canada at 6 World Taekwondo Championships.
- Most recently was a bronze medalist at the 2023 Pan American Games.
- He is a highly respected athlete amongst the senior team members who draws on his many years of experience to provide leadership within the team.
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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
