Taekwondo Championships Introduce New Technology, Rules

The 2009 WTF World Taekwondo Championships attracted 1,010 fighters from 142 countries to Copenhagen, Denmark. This is the 19th edition of the biennial event for men and the 13th edition for women. The Championships take place between Oct. 14-18 at the Ballerup Super Arena in Copenhagen.

This year marks the first World Taekwondo Championships to use electronic body protectors. An instant video replay system has also been introduced this year. New rules reduced the size of the competition area from 10 meters by 10 meters to 8 meters by 8 meters.

Under the new scoring system one point is awarded for a valid kick to the trunk protector, two points for a valid turning kick to the trunk protector, and three points for a successful kick to the face. A stricter 10-second rule will penalize a passive athlete with a warning and a half-point award to the opponent per warning.

Men and women compete in eight weight categories each: -54kg, -58kg, -63kg, -68kg, -74kg, -80kg, -87kg, and +87kg for men; and -46kg, -49kg, -53kg, -57kg, -62kg, -67kg, -73kg, and +73kg for women.

Steven Lopez of the United States is hoping to become the first five-time champion at the World Taekwondo Championships. Lopez was the gold medalist at both the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games, and the bronze medalist in the men’s -80kg class at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He has won the gold medal at the 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007 World Taekwondo Championships.

Korea’s Choi Yeon-ho hopes to add a fourth gold medal to his prior golds at the 2001, 2003 and 2007 World Championships.

Three gold medalists from the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games are competing in the Copenhagen Championships: China’s Wu Jing-yu, the gold medalist in the women’s -49kg category; Korea’s Lim Su-jeong, the gold medalist in the women’s -57kg class; and Mexico’s Maria Espinoza, the gold medalist in the women’s +67kg class.

10/16/2009, 4:50 AM COPENHAGEN