Taekwondo Competition Summer Youth Olympics 2018

Summer Youth Olympics

 2018 

The men’s -73kg and the women’s -63kg 

taekwondoat  Buenos Aires 2018

Republic of Iran Gold Medal Win in taekwondo 

BUENOS AIRES - Taekwondo athletes Ali Eshkevarian and Yalda Valinejad won the first medals for the Republic of Iran at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, taking gold at the men’s -73kg and the women’s -63kg events, respectively.

Two Iranian representatives waved the flag of their country at the top of the podium as they struck gold twice on the third day of the taekwondo competition at Buenos Aires 2018.

In the men's -73kg category, Ali Eshkevarian started the day with a somewhat tight 19-17 quarterfinals victory against Chinese Taipei’s Qui Hong-Sheng, but then moved past the semifinals smoothly, beating Ecuador's Darlyn Padilla 29-5.

In the final, Eshkevarian was locked in a close battle against Belgium’s Badr Achab, who he was able to overcome in the last seconds of the encounter to win by one point, 17-16. The bronze medals went to Egyptian Eyad Adel Mahmoud and Ecuador’s Padilla.

In the women's -63kg category, Republic of Iran’s Yalda Valinejad had an easier path to the gold medal than her compatriot. She beat Jordan’s Natali Iyad Adnan Hamaidi 12-2 in the quarterfinals, while in the semifinals she had a very even fight with Mexico’s Leslie Xcaret Soltero Garcia that ended with 26-22 in the Iranian’s favour.

In the final, the 17-year-old Iranian athlete defeated Serbia’s Nadica Bozanic by 23-17 to win the top prize at Buenos Aires 2018, which she celebrated on the tatami by waving her country’s flag and waving to the audience with excitement. The two bronze medals in the women’s event went to Mexico’s Soltero Garcia and Italy’s Assunta Cennamo.