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Thursday, August 24
Fan Guide - Taekwondo
TAEKWONDO
Olympic competition dates: Sept. 27-30
Venue: State Sports Centre, Sydney Olympic Park
The outlook
Sport that has existed for 2,000 years debuts as a medal
event at Sydney after being a demonstration in 1992 and 1996. Korea
won the men's and women's titles at last year's world
championships.
The finer points
Taekwondo is making its Olympic debut. A 100 men and women in four classes will participate in a single-elimination tournament.
Format: Three rounds of three minutes each with a one-minute break between rounds. A win can be made by knock out, scoring the most points or default if an opponent is disqualified or earns three penalty points. In case of a tie, the referee decides on the winner unless it is a gold medal round. Gold medal rounds go into sudden death with the winner being the first to score. If no one scores, the referee will determine the winner. All competitors eliminated from gold or silver medal contention will compete in a second bracket to determine the bronze medal. The losing semifinalists will move directly to the semifinal level of the bronze-medal bracket. The remaining competitors will fight to face them in the semifinal round of that bracket.
Scoring: Points are given for legitimate blows and can be taken away by penalties. Opponents earn points with punches to the body or by landing kicks on the head or body. A 10-second knockout count can begin if any part of a contestant's body other than the foot touches the mat.
Equipment: Headgear and body protectors in addition to groin, shin and forearm protectors are required. The competition area is a 12-meter square covered with an elastic mat on a raised platform.
Classes
Men: flyweight, 128 pounds; featherweight, 150 pounds; welterweight, 176 pounds; heavyweight, over 176 pounds.
Women: flyweight, 108 pounds; featherweight, 126 pounds; welterweight, 148 pounds; heavyweight, over 148 pounds.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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