Great Britain’s run of medals in taekwondo at the Olympics continued on Tuesday as Bianca Walkden secured bronze.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the medal success of Team GB in the sport during the last four Games.
Sarah Stevenson, Beijing 2008 – bronze
Great Britain’s wait for a first ever taekwondo medal ended in Beijing when Stevenson beat Noha Abd Rabo in a bronze medal match by a 5-1 score. It only occurred after the Doncaster athlete had seen her second-round defeat to Chen Zhong reversed due to a last-gasp kick not being registered, which was later taken into account. It helped ensure a maiden medal in the sport at the third time of asking after it was introduced in 2000.
Jade Jones London 2012 – gold
Jones, who was only a teenager at the time, won Team GB’s first gold in the category when she beat world champion Yuzhuo Hou at the Excel Arena in the capital. The 19-year-old from Wales had to survive two painful knocks in a tense second round before she prevailed 6-4 to take her place at the top of the podium.
Lutalo Muhammad, London 2012 – bronze
The Londoner backed up his controversial selection with bronze after a 9-3 victory over Arman Yeremyan, having received hate mail before the home Games. Selected ahead of world number one Aaron Cook, the contentious decision was largely vindicated when Muhammad made the most of a second-chance repechage rule to earn a medal.
Jade Jones, Rio 2016 – gold
A second gold for Jones firmly wrote her name in the history books, with a 16-7 win over Eva Calvo in the featherweight category. Four years after she burst onto the scene, the Great Britain star delivered once again to make it back-to-back wins at the Games.
Lutalo Muhammad, Rio 2016 – silver
A narrow 8-6 loss to Cheick Sallah Cisse saw Muhammad in tears after the gold medal match, but a silver still helped Great Britain continue their impressive run of medal showing at the Games. Within touching distance of standing on the top podium, the then world number four could not keep it up and a reverse turning kick at the death proved crucial.
Bianca Walkden, Rio 2016 – bronze
Walkden went to Rio as a strong favourite in the +67kg category having clinched her first world title in Chelyabinsk the previous year. However, after a low-scoring affair against China’s Zheng Shuyin, the bout went to a ‘golden point’ finish – and Zheng scored a three-point kick to deny Walkden a place in the final. She beat Morocco’s Wiam Dislam to win the medal.
Bradly Sinden, Tokyo 2020 – silver
Just eight seconds separated Sinden from securing Great Britain’s first gold medal of the Tokyo Games as he led by two points, but in a dramatic repeat of Muhammad’s last-gasp agony in Rio, a head-kick by Ulugbek Rashitov denied the Doncaster native and gave gold to his Uzbek opponent.
Lauren Williams, Tokyo 2020 – silver
There was more late heartbreak as Williams lost a three-point advantage with 10 seconds remaining to lose 25-22 to world number one Matea Jelic. The Blackwood 22-year-old had risen from the ashes of an injury-ravaged year to blaze into the women’s -67kg final and fleetingly looked to have the biggest prize in her sport at her mercy until the Croatian’s late comeback.
Bianca Walkden, Tokyo 2020 – bronze
Walkden suffered final-second agony as she was forced to settle for her second consecutive Olympic bronze medal. The three-time world champion led South Korea’s Dabin Lee by two points in their semi-final but a three-point head kick right on the button gave her opponent a 25-24 win and sent Walkden into the repechage. Just as she had rallied in Rio five years ago, Walkden showed admirable resolve to overcome Aleksandra Kowalczuk of Poland 7-3 and ensure a place on the podium.
