Strange Taekwondo tales from Sydney

On Wednesday, the day that Taekwondo made its debut as an official event, a Taiwanese newspaper reporter approached me at the Sydney State Sports Center. He asked whether I had heard the rumor that the first gold medals for Taekwondo would be won by host nation Australia and future host nation Greece. Because Taiwanese competitors Huang Chih-Hsiung and Chi Shu-Ji were among the favorites to win gold, Taiwanese reporters showed considerable interest in the event.

Although the remark seemed improbable, astonishingly, the two Taiwanese competitors had to remain satisfied with bronze medals while Greece's Michail Mouroutsos and Australia's Lauren Burns won the men's and women's gold medals.

Another rumor was also passed on through the grapevine. A reporter from Reuters remarked that Kim Un-Yong, chairman of the International Taekwondo Association, was angered by the Korean team's poor performance. The question was posed whether chairman Kim had changed his original plans or still aimed for 4 gold medals. On Thursday, there was a rumor circulating among foreign correspondents that the crowd had booed after Jung Jae-Eun and Sin Joon-Sik won in the semi-finals.

The accuracy of a hit is judged by the umpires¡¯ ears and eyes, and in Taekwondo the umpire's judgment has a decisive influence. In preparing for the Olympics, the ITA asserted that it had given umpires special training and that there were no objections to any judgments. It is more comforting to think that the heckling came from the losing side's cheering section.

However, it is unfortunate that foreign reporters seem to believe that Taekwondo competitions are won and lost due to outside pressure. In order for Taekwondo to remain an official sport, the rumors circulating around the arena need to be cleared up.