When Rome Turned Taekwondo into a Global Spectacle
GRAND PRIX Rome spoke the language of taekwondo once again, but this time with a different kind of force. It was not only because of the standard of the bouts, nor simply because Olympic champions, world-class athletes and rising stars were all gathered in one place. It was because of the atmosphere. The style. The sense of belonging. That uniquely Italian ability to transform a sporting event into a cultural, institutional and deeply human experience.
By Carlos Hernández | mundotaekwondo.com
From 4 to 7 June 2026, the Foro Italico hosted the Rome 2026 World Taekwondo Grand Prix, the opening stop of the Grand Prix Series season and a symbolic starting point on the road to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Yet to describe what happened in Rome merely as a competition would be to fall short. This Grand Prix was also a celebration of history, a demonstration of organisational strength and a statement of intent from Italian taekwondo on the international stage.
The event coincided with the 60th anniversary of taekwondo in Italy, a milestone that allowed the Italian Taekwondo Federation — FITA — to present the past, present and future of the sport on the same stage.
A Grand Prix with the Soul of a Festival
The scale of the event was reflected in its numbers. A total of 366 athletes took part, with 255 competing in the Olympic Grand Prix and 111 in the Para Grand Prix, representing 57 nations. Across the eight Olympic categories and ten Para Taekwondo divisions, 72 medals were awarded.
Over four days, the Foro Italico welcomed around 20,000 spectators and attendees, while the traditional Kim e Liù Tournament, reserved for younger athletes, brought together close to 2,000 registered children, reinforcing the idea of an intergenerational sporting festival.
But numbers alone cannot capture what was experienced in Rome.
The atmosphere was astonishing. The organisers clearly set out to deliver a first-class spectacle — and they truly succeeded. The internal attention given to guests, athletes, officials and media was outstanding. The food, the cordiality, the Italian warmth and the organisational elegance could be felt in every corner of the venue.
Throughout the Grand Prix, mundotaekwondo.com conducted more than 30 interviews. The conclusion was almost unanimous: Rome did not simply organise a tournament. Rome built an experience.
The President of the Italian Taekwondo Federation, Angelo Cito, proved to be an exceptional host. Together with his team, he provided first-class attention and remained fully committed to ensuring that this event had everything required to be remembered.
We spoke with him, and from the Foro Italico he shared his vision with us:
Rome’s Champions: Every Gold Told a Story
Although every gold medallist earned their place in the spotlight, one moment sent the Foro Italico into absolute frenzy: the triumph of Vito Dell’Aquila.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion once again lifted the Italian crowd with a performance of the highest calibre. At home, in front of his people, Vito defeated the reigning Olympic champion, Korea’s Park Taejoon, in a victory that shook the arena and confirmed what few now dispute: Dell’Aquila is one of the great athletes in modern taekwondo history, and he remains as relevant as ever. The Final Vs. korean Seo, was the best match with more of 200 points in three rounds.
Rome also became the stage for individual triumphs with their own unique identity.
In the women’s -49 kg category, Alisa Angelova, representing Russia, produced one of the great stories of the tournament.
The smallest athlete in stature in her division competed with an enormous heart. Her determination crushed the ambitions of her opponents and turned her into an unforgettable champion.
In -57 kg, Brazil’s Maria Clara Pacheco was utterly dominant. Her gold medal left no doubt about Brazil’s competitive present in one of the sport’s most demanding divisions.
In -67 kg, Hungary’s Viviana Marton was a competitive machine. She left no room for speculation. She won with authority, overpowered her opponents in every appearance and once again showed that her name already belongs among the elite.
In +67 kg, Kimi Laurene Ossin of Côte d’Ivoire competed at superstar level. As a natural heir to the legacy built by figures such as Cheick Cissé and Ruth Gbagbi, Kimi was spectacular from beginning to end. Her performance confirmed that Côte d’Ivoire remains a genuine force in world taekwondo.
Among the men, Turkey’s Berkay Erer, the current European champion, strengthened his status in -68 kg as one of the most solid athletes of the present moment. His performance in Rome places him at the centre of the Olympic cycle.
In -80 kg, Spain’s Juan Antonio Milan Cánovas produced one of the tournament’s biggest surprises. On his way to gold, he spectacularly eliminated two of the current superstars of the division: the United States’ CJ Nickolas and Brazil’s Henrique Marques Fernandes. His title carried sporting, strategic and emotional weight.
Finally, in +80 kg, Rafail Aiukaev, representing Russia, made it clear that he is one of the strongest and toughest heavyweights in the world today. His strikes left a mark on his opponents, and his performance places him among the serious contenders on the road to Los Angeles 2028.
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A Gala That Looked Back Without Remaining in the Past
The President of World Taekwondo, Dr Chungwon Choue, praised the leadership and organisational capacity of FITA President Angelo Cito, who has turned Italy into one of the most influential federations on the international scene. Choue captured the spirit of the evening by recalling that, thanks to them, a passion began and was passed down from generation to generation.
The closing ceremony, framed by the celebration of 60 years of taekwondo in Italy, was far more than an awards presentation. It was a night of memory, identity and future.
The ceremony also brought together major figures from the global sporting movement, including IOC Honorary Member Francesco Ricci Bitti; World Baseball Softball Confederation President Riccardo Fraccari; World Taekwondo Vice-Presidents Jinbang Yang and Driss El Hilali; Kukkiwon President Ung-suk Yun; and members of the World Taekwondo Council.
The tribute had two central names: Grand Masters Sun-jae Park and Young-ghil Park, essential figures in the arrival, development and consolidation of taekwondo in Italy.
The ceremony included a performance by the World Taekwondo Demonstration Team alongside FITA’s Ciao Team, following exhibitions held at iconic locations such as Lake Como, Piazza di Spagna, the Foro Italico and the Colosseum.
It was a way of telling the world that taekwondo can compete, move people, educate and also engage in dialogue with the history of an eternal city.
Rome: Institutional Strength and Sporting Success
The success of the Grand Prix did not happen by chance. The official presentation of the event, held at the Ara Pacis Museum, had already set the institutional tone for the week. Among those present were Chungwon Choue; Angelo Cito; Italy’s Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi; CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio; Italian Paralympic Committee President Marco Giunio De Sanctis; Sport e Salute CEO Diego Nepi Molineris; and Rome Capital’s Councillor for Major Events, Sport, Tourism and Fashion, Alessandro Onorato.
Cito defended the strategic value of the Grand Prix. Rome was returning to the Foro Italico, a venue unique in the world, and the competition represented the first step towards Los Angeles 2028 for Italy’s champions and for the new generation.
He also underlined that FITA holds first place among the national associations affiliated to World Taekwondo, a figure the federation presents as evidence of its growth and international prestige.
Abodi highlighted the organisational capacity and global recognition of the Italian federation. Buonfiglio placed the event within the context of an Italy seeking to be a protagonist both in the pursuit of medals and in the organisation of major sporting events. De Sanctis emphasised the value of placing the Paralympic discipline on equal footing with the Olympic one, while Nepi Molineris noted that, during those days, the Foro Italico functioned as a true international sporting citadel.
World Taekwondo Found in Rome a High-Standard Host
The positive assessment of the event was also supported by World Taekwondo’s technical and operational directors, who praised the level of organisation, the quality of competition and the strategic importance of Rome as the starting point of a new Olympic cycle.
Philippe Bouedo, World Taekwondo Technical Director, particularly valued the way in which the Grand Prix brought together high performance, regulatory innovation and a staging worthy of the demands of modern taekwondo.
From a technical perspective, Rome offered an ideal setting in which to observe the evolution of combat, the behaviour of athletes under new competitive dynamics and the system’s ability to adapt to the rule adjustments implemented during the event.
Bouedo highlighted that the Grand Prix did not only feature champions of the highest level, but also intense, tactical and emotionally engaging bouts for the public. For WT’s Technical Director, that combination of sporting demand, efficient organisation and athlete response confirmed Rome as a key stop for measuring the current state of world taekwondo on the road to Los Angeles 2028.
In the same vein, Mohamed Shaaban, World Taekwondo Games Director, underlined the operational value of the event and FITA’s ability to respond to the demands of an international competition of the highest category. Shaaban highlighted the coordination between technical, logistical, protocol and audiovisual areas, as well as the effort made to provide suitable conditions for athletes, coaches, referees, officials, media and guests.
For Shaaban, the Rome 2026 World Taekwondo Grand Prix demonstrated that an elite event can go far beyond the field of play when there is an integrated vision behind it.
Both officials agreed that Rome set an important benchmark for the international calendar. This was not simply about organising matches and awarding medals, but about creating an environment in which taekwondo could be shown in all its dimensions: Olympic sport, Paralympic discipline, educational tool, spectacle, tradition and innovation.
From that perspective, the Rome Grand Prix confirmed that World Taekwondo and FITA share a common vision: to strengthen the international circuit with events capable of elevating the athlete experience, connecting with new audiences and projecting the road to Los Angeles 2028 through a narrative broader than competition alone.
Angelo Cito: Leadership with International Impact
The celebratory atmosphere, the standard of the tournament and the overall results of each activity held during the week revealed something evident: Angelo Cito has become an international leader with a special capacity for promoting and organising taekwondo. The presence of the Para Grand Prix, the Kim e Liù children’s tournament, the Virtual Taekwondo Rome Open 2026, the exhibitions in iconic locations and the celebration of 60 years of Italian taekwondo all helped project a complete image of the discipline: competitive, inclusive, innovative and close to the people.
His management has not only had an impact in Italy. It has also left a mark on the world.
Under his leadership, FITA has shown that a national federation can go beyond traditional sports administration. It can build a brand, attract the public, generate content, develop athletes, involve children, project inclusion and organise events to global standards.
Innovation, Youth Development and Social Dimension
The Rome Grand Prix was not limited to elite combat.
The programme included the Virtual Taekwondo Rome Open 2026, presented as the first official international virtual taekwondo tournament, with athletes competing through digital avatars and virtual reality headsets. This initiative confirmed that the sport is looking towards new formats, new audiences and new forms of competitive interaction.
Rule modifications were also put into practice, including the partial removal of video replay, the two-point penalty for avoiding combat and the ten-second warning before the end of each round.
Youth development occupied a central space through the Kim e Liù Tournament, where thousands of children were able to compete in the same environment as the sport’s greatest global figures. That coexistence between childhood, elite performance and high-level competition was one of the most powerful images of the event.
The social dimension was also present through the participation of seven young Syrian athletes from the Azraq refugee camp in Jordan. Their presence served as a reminder that taekwondo does not only produce champions; it can also open doors, restore hope and create a sense of belonging.
A Global Digital Impact
The final balance also had a powerful communications dimension.
During the four days of competition, filmmakers, photographers, journalists and digital teams produced more than 500 original pieces of content across FITA’s official channels, generating around 15 million contacts and reaching more than one million profiles on Instagram alone.
mundotaekwondo.com, the world’s leading media outlet specialised in taekwondo journalism and an invited guest of FITA, reached 7,183,000 views on Meta during the same week, confirming the global interest generated by the event.
Rome was not only seen by those present at the Foro Italico. Rome travelled the world through images, interviews, stories, emotions and results. You can see reels, interviews, photo journalist in Mundotaekwondo Social Media.
Rome Did Not Celebrate the Past — It Announced the Future
The Rome 2026 World Taekwondo Grand Prix left behind a complete image.
A local Olympic champion crowned on the final day. A generation of athletes combining established figures and new contenders. An Italian federation recognised by World Taekwondo. An organisational structure capable of turning competition into spectacle. A ceremony that transformed six decades of history into a declaration of the future.
The Foro Italico was not merely a venue. It was a stage of identity.
Rome celebrated 60 years of Italian taekwondo, but it did not do so from a place of nostalgia. It did so with ambition. With the conviction that the past has value when it pushes forward.
In the eternal city, Italian taekwondo did not simply remember what it once was. It presented itself to the world as a movement determined to remain at the centre of the international stage.
From Rome, as a media outlet present at the heart of the Foro Italico, we bring this report to a close with the certainty of having witnessed more than an international competition. The Rome 2026 World Taekwondo Grand Prix not only brought together Olympic champions, emerging figures, sporting authorities and thousands of fans; it also confirmed that Italian taekwondo is experiencing a moment of maturity, projection and global ambition.
The celebration was not solely Italian. It was also a demonstration of taekwondo’s ability to unite generations, countries, cultures and different realities under one shared principle: sport as a space for excellence, respect, inclusion and self-improvement. In this sense, Rome did not merely host a Grand Prix; Rome delivered a statement of identity to the world.
The lights went down at the Foro Italico after an unforgettable week, but the echo of its contests, its tributes and its emotions will continue to accompany the road to Los Angeles 2028. If this Grand Prix marked the starting point of a new Olympic and Paralympic cycle, Italy began it with authority, sensitivity and vision.
From this coverage, our conclusion is clear: Rome 2026 was not simply a stop on the international calendar. It was a celebration of taekwondo in all its sporting, human and historical dimensions.
We thank the President of FITA, Angelo Cito, for his invitation. We also extend our public congratulations to the entire FITA team and to the World Taekwondo technical team for their outstanding success in the organisation and staging of the tournament.
Carlos Hernández – Ricardo Hernández
Mundotaekwondo.com
