Jang Jun Secures Gold Medal for South Korea in Taekwondo Sparring at 19th Asian Games
By [Journalist’s Name]
South Korea’s Jang Jun proudly clinched the highly coveted sparring gold medal, marking a triumphant moment for the nation known as the birthplace of Taekwondo, during the 19th Asian Games held recently.
The exhilarating sparring competition commenced on the 25th, and a day prior, Kang Wan-jin and Cha Ye-eun demonstrated their remarkable skills by securing gold medals in men’s and women’s Poomsae events respectively, bringing an end to Taekwondo’s remarkable gold rush.
Jang Jun’s incredible journey to the finals boasted an impeccable round score of 2-0, prevailing through the intense rounds from the round of 16 to the semi-finals.
In the final round, Jang Jun faced off against Iran’s Mahdi Hajimusa Einafuti, a talented rookie born in 2004, who showcased his immense potential by winning the second round of the 2023 World Taekwondo (WT) Grand Prix in France earlier this month.
The first round witnessed Jang Jun conceding a point due to a foul. However, his bold head attack scored a valuable point upon being reviewed by video assistance, granting him a 4-1 lead. South Korea’s formidable competitor seemed to solidify his triumph as the score reached 5-1. Yet, in the final moments of the round, Jang Jun surrendered three points due to a body attack, narrowly clinching the victory with a 5-4 score.
The start of the second round brought further setbacks for Jang Jun as points were deducted immediately. Adding to his challenges, he faced a head attack from Hajimusa Einafuti, falling behind with a score of 0-3. Nevertheless, Jang Jun’s tenacity prevailed once more as his head attack, affirmed by video review with just four seconds remaining, equalized the score at 4-4.
In a thrilling turn of events, Jang Jun’s opponent incurred a penalty just before the match’s conclusion, resulting in a deduction of points. Preserving his unwavering focus until the end, Jang Jun ultimately claimed victory in the second round, securing a resounding 2-0 win in the final and earning South Korea’s first gold medal in the Asian Games.
Remarkably, this prestigious medal also represents Jang Jun’s maiden gold in an international competition during the 2023 season.
Thanks to Jang Jun’s exceptional performance, the Korean men’s Taekwondo team successfully defended their dominance on the men’s 58kg podium for the second consecutive time, building on Kim Tae-hoon’s gold medal achievement at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games.
Jang Jun presented the first sparring gold medal to the Republic of Korea, the home of Taekwondo, at the 19th Asian Games.
The sparring competition started today (25th), and the day before, Kang Wan-jin and Cha Ye-eun swept the men’s and women’s Poomsae gold medals, ending Taekwondo’s gold rush.
Jangjun reached the finals with a round score of 2-0 from the round of 16 to the semi-finals.
The opponent in the final is Iran’s Mahdi Hajimusa Einafuti, who was born in 2004 and is four years younger than Jang Jun, but is a rookie who won the second round of the 2023 World Taekwondo (WT) Grand Prix held in France earlier this month. .
Jang Jun conceded 1 point due to a foul in the first round, but attempted a head attack, and the score was recognized via video review, giving him a 4-1 lead. The Korean star’s successful first attack seemed to confirm the victory with a score of 5-1, but he allowed a body attack with 14 seconds remaining, giving up three points and narrowly securing the victory in the first round with a score of 5- 4.
Jangjun’s points were deducted as soon as the second round started, and to make matters worse, he allowed a head attack on Hajimusa Einafti and was dragged down to 0-3. However, he was once again ruled to have hit the head via video review with 4 seconds remaining, tying the score at 4-4.
Just before the end of the match, his opponent fell and was deducted points, but Jang Jun, who never lost focus until the end, eventually won the second round and won 2-0 in the final, winning his gold medal first in the Asian Games. .
This medal is also Jang Jun’s first gold medal in an international competition in the 2023 season.
Korean men’s Taekwondo managed to retain the top spot on the men’s 58kg podium for the second consecutive time thanks to Jang Jun’s performance, following Kim Tae-hoon’s gold medal at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games.
#Jang #Jun #wins #mens #58kg #gold #medal
