From May 27th to May 31st, 2015, the FEDERAZIONE ITALIANA TAEKWON-DO ITF (FITAE) and the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) hosted the 19th Senior and 13th Junior ITF Taekwon-Do World Championships in Lido di Jesolo, Italy—a beautiful seaside resort located one hour from Venice. During the last week of May, officials, umpires, competitors, coaches, and supporters (more than 2,200 participants in all) flooded the Venetian shore from more than 50 countries across the globe.
The event was launched with opening ceremonies on Tuesday night at the Pala Arrex Arena. After a formal introduction of the tournament committees and other officials, and the procession of representative countries, there was a series of spectacular performances by a renowned opera singer and local pianist that perfectly demonstrated the classic culture of Italy. The audience was then captivated by a novel performance integrating the elegance of traditional ballet with a montage of Taekwon-Do patterns. A lasting impression was left by a spectacular demonstration from the National Team of Puerto Rico, and the ceremony was topped off with the traditional Haka dance of the New Zealand Taekwon-Do team. After the ceremony the crowds headed back to their hotels to rest up for the first day of competition.
The event was launched with opening ceremonies on Tuesday night at the Pala Arrex Arena. After a formal introduction of the tournament committees and other officials, and the procession of representative countries, there was a series of spectacular performances by a renowned opera singer and local pianist that perfectly demonstrated the classic culture of Italy. The audience was then captivated by a novel performance integrating the elegance of traditional ballet with a montage of Taekwon-Do patterns. A lasting impression was left by a spectacular demonstration from the National Team of Puerto Rico, and the ceremony was topped off with the traditional Haka dance of the New Zealand Taekwon-Do team. After the ceremony the crowds headed back to their hotels to rest up for the first day of competition.
And a long day it was! For most juniors it was time for sparring, while seniors spent the day demonstrating their skills in individual patterns. At the end of the day, the USA walked away with only one medal, awarded to the NTA’s own Stephanie Suarez who secured the silver medal in women’s 2nd degree individual patterns, losing only to Norway after a tie-breaking round in the finals. The second day of competition proved just as challenging for the USA when our decorated champion Julio Carlos fell in his fourth round to a knockout by Argentina. A stunned crowd was left disheartened when Julio was carried out of the ring, but relieved and pleased to hear that he had walked away unharmed. Moments later, Stephanie Suarez came through again, shedding some light on the day, earning the USA’s second medal by taking the bronze in individual female micro-weight sparring.
Friday was a well-earned half-day of competition, highlighted with the USA junior boys taking the silver medal in team power breaking. While most officials spent the afternoon in conferences, competitors engaged in some last minute training, or otherwise taking in the sights of Jesolo and enjoying the idyllic weather and delectable food; with a plethora of restaurants, cafés and gelaterías always at hand, life was never bland in Jesolo.
Saturday’s competition happily saw the USA’s first gold medal, well-earned by Jaime Raybourn of Houston, TX, from ATFI who nabbed first place in heavyweight junior girls’ individual sparring. And Sunday morning brought the much anticipated performance of Titus Durojaiye (NTA-ITF) and Anderson Chan (OTFA) in senior male pre-arranged sparring—a magnificent routine for which they earned a bronze medal. This same day saw a tenacious presentation of the junior girls’ team power breaking, which brought the USA another silver medal.
Saturday’s competition happily saw the USA’s first gold medal, well-earned by Jaime Raybourn of Houston, TX, from ATFI who nabbed first place in heavyweight junior girls’ individual sparring. And Sunday morning brought the much anticipated performance of Titus Durojaiye (NTA-ITF) and Anderson Chan (OTFA) in senior male pre-arranged sparring—a magnificent routine for which they earned a bronze medal. This same day saw a tenacious presentation of the junior girls’ team power breaking, which brought the USA another silver medal.
A brief closing ceremony followed the final medal awarding, where New Zealand was awarded the overall winner at this years’ competition. The streets of Jesolo came alive with national chants and cheers, and many spent the night celebrating with friends and colleagues, revving up for an extended stay in one of the most beautiful, historical countries in the world.
The World Championship this year proved a difficult one for the USA Team (joined efforts from the ATFI; ITF-USA; OTFA; and NTA-ITF — the four allied associations of the USA recognized by the ITF), with a series of unexpected losses that demonstrate perfectly the unpredictable, and often heartbreaking nature of international competition. Still, we are proud and overjoyed to congratulate our medal winners, and look forward to seeing everyone again soon!
The World Championship this year proved a difficult one for the USA Team (joined efforts from the ATFI; ITF-USA; OTFA; and NTA-ITF — the four allied associations of the USA recognized by the ITF), with a series of unexpected losses that demonstrate perfectly the unpredictable, and often heartbreaking nature of international competition. Still, we are proud and overjoyed to congratulate our medal winners, and look forward to seeing everyone again soon!
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