Mexico, Brazil and Russia claimed two gold medals each at the Paris 2026 World Para Taekwondo Grand Prix, where 113 athletes competed across ten weight categories. Bahrain also made history by securing its first World Para Taekwondo medal.
PARIS, France — 8 October 2026.
The Paris 2026 World Para Taekwondo Grand Prix delivered an outstanding day of international competition, featuring Paralympic champions, thrilling rivalries and a historic breakthrough for Bahrain, as the sport once again demonstrated its growing strength on the global stage.
Held at the Palais des Sports Marcel Cerdan in Levallois-Perret, the event brought together 113 athletes from 30 countries, alongside a delegation listed as World Taekwondo (Costa Rica), competing for ten gold medals.
The distribution of titles highlighted the competitive depth of Para Taekwondo, with seven nations reaching the top of the podium.
Mexico, Brazil and Russia led the gold medal standings with two titles apiece, while Israel, Türkiye, Georgia and Kazakhstan each secured one gold.
MEXICO AND BRAZIL SHOW THEIR STRENGTH
Mexico enjoyed an excellent day in Paris, claiming two gold medals through Claudia Romero and Juan Diego García López.
In the women’s K44 -47 kg final, Romero defeated France’s Zakia Khudadadi, the Paris 2024 Paralympic bronze medallist, in two rounds.
The Mexican athlete added the Paris title to her previous Grand Prix triumph in Rome, reinforcing her position among the leading competitors in the division.
Meanwhile, Tokyo 2020 Paralympic champion Juan Diego García López secured Mexico’s second gold medal with a commanding 2-0 victory over Brazil’s Valter Sedano Delfino de Oliveira in the men’s K44 -70 kg final.
The result marked another important achievement for García López, who had previously claimed gold at the Muju Grand Prix in September.
Brazil also produced an impressive performance, securing two titles in the women’s divisions.
Silvana Mayara Cardoso Fernandes extended her remarkable winning streak to three consecutive Grand Prix titles after defeating compatriot Maria Eduarda Machado Stumpf in the K44 -57 kg final.
Fernandes controlled the contest with round scores of 12-6 and 22-0, completing another convincing performance in the 2026 series.
Reigning Paralympic champion Ana Carolina Silva de Moura completed Brazil’s golden double by defeating France’s Djelika Diallo, the Paris 2024 Paralympic silver medallist, in the women’s K44 -65 kg final.
PARALYMPIC CHAMPIONS DELIVER IN PARIS
Several reigning Paralympic champions demonstrated their quality throughout the competition.
In the men’s K44 -58 kg category, Israel’s Asaf Yasur ended the winning streak of Azerbaijan’s Sabir Zeynalov, who had previously claimed Grand Prix titles in Rome and Muju.
Yasur secured victory in two rounds, earning his first Grand Prix gold medal of the 2026 season.
Türkiye’s Mahmut Bozteke was another standout performer.
The Paralympic champion maintained his dominance in the men’s K44 -63 kg division with a 2-0 victory over Israel’s Adnan Milad.
The triumph completed a remarkable hat-trick of Grand Prix gold medals for Bozteke, following his earlier victories in Rome and Muju.
Georgia’s Ana Japaridze also produced one of the most exciting performances of the tournament.
Competing in the women’s K44 -52 kg final, Japaridze defeated Türkiye’s two-time Paralympic medallist Meryem Betül Çavdar 2-1 in a closely contested encounter.
The match renewed a rivalry that had already featured in the Rome Grand Prix and European Championships finals, with the outcome remaining uncertain until the closing seconds of the decisive third round.
KAZAKHSTAN AND RUSSIA COMPLETE AN IMPRESSIVE DAY
Kazakhstan celebrated a significant victory through Nurlan Dombayev, who claimed the men’s K44 -80 kg title after defeating Brazil’s Joel Gomes da Silva.
Dombayev continued his strong progression throughout the season, improving on his silver medal in Muju and bronze in Rome.
Russia also emerged as one of the most successful delegations, securing two gold medals.
In the women’s K44 +65 kg division, Elena Savinskaia defeated Greece’s European silver medallist Eleni Papastamatopoulou, improving on her own silver-medal performance at the Rome Grand Prix.
The competition concluded with another high-profile encounter in the men’s K44 +80 kg final.
Russia’s Aliaskhab Ramazanov faced Great Britain’s Matt Bush in a renewed rivalry between two athletes who had previously met in major international finals, including Muju and the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Ramazanov eventually prevailed after three closely contested rounds, with scores of 4-6, 10-8 and 8-5.
The victory secured his second consecutive Grand Prix title.
HISTORIC BRONZE MEDAL FOR BAHRAIN
One of the most significant stories of the Paris competition came from Bahrain. Ebrahim Samqa secured bronze in the men’s K44 -63 kg category, delivering a historic achievement for his country.
The result marked Bahrain’s first medal in World Para Taekwondo competition and represented an important milestone in the nation’s development within the sport.
Samqa shared the bronze-medal positions with Spain’s Joel Martín Villalobos, while Türkiye’s Mahmut Bozteke claimed gold and Israel’s Adnan Milad took silver.
Bahrain’s achievement added another dimension to a tournament characterised by competitive diversity and the emergence of new medal-winning nations.
PARIS 2026 WORLD PARA TAEKWONDO GRAND PRIX — COMPLETE MEDAL RESULTS
WOMEN’S CATEGORIES
K44 WOMEN -47 KG
Gold: Claudia Romero (MEX)
Silver: Zakia Khudadadi (FRA)
Bronze: Lia Chachibaia (GEO)
Bronze: Nurcihan Ekinci Gul (TUR)
K44 WOMEN -52 KG
Gold: Ana Japaridze (GEO)
Silver: Meryem Betül Çavdar (TUR)
Bronze: Marija Micev (SRB)
Bronze: Jessica García (MEX)
K44 WOMEN -57 KG
Gold: Silvana Mayara Cardoso Fernandes (BRA)
Silver: Maria Eduarda Machado Stumpf (BRA)
Bronze: Sophie Caverzan (FRA)
Bronze: Gamze Ozcan (TUR)
K44 WOMEN -65 KG
Gold: Ana Carolina Silva (BRA)
Silver: Djelika Diallo (FRA)
Bronze: Patrycja Zewar (POL)
Bronze: Secil Er (TUR)
K44 WOMEN +65 KG
Gold: Elena Savinskaia (RUS)
Silver: Eleni Papastamatopoulou (GRE)
Bronze: Amy Truesdale (GBR)
Bronze: Jelena Rasic (SRB)
MEN’S CATEGORIES
K44 MEN -58 KG
Gold: Asaf Yasur (ISR)
Silver: Sabir Zeynalov (AZE)
Bronze: Gustavo Czerniak (BRA)
Bronze: Tyemirbyek Khaulyet (MGL)
K44 MEN -63 KG
Gold: Mahmut Bozteke (TUR)
Silver: Adnan Milad (ISR)
Bronze: Ebrahim Samqa (BRN)
Bronze: Joel Martín Villalobos (ESP)
K44 MEN -70 KG
Gold: Juan Diego García López (MEX)
Silver: Valter Sedano Delfino de Oliveira (BRA)
Bronze: Shunsuke Kudo (JPN)
Bronze: Antonino Bossolo (ITA)
K44 MEN -80 KG
Gold: Nurlan Dombayev (KAZ)
Silver: Joel Gomes da Silva (BRA)
Bronze: Zhanbolat Kaziyev (KAZ)
Bronze: Luis Mario Nájera (MEX)
K44 MEN +80 KG
Gold: Aliaskhab Ramazanov (RUS)
Silver: Matt Bush (GBR)
Bronze: Adem Arda Ozkul (TUR)
Bronze: Bilal Iakhiaev (RUS)
PARIS 2026: THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE GRAND PRIX
The competition produced several notable statistics, reflecting both the strength of established Para Taekwondo nations and the sport’s expanding international reach.
113 athletes competed in the tournament.
30 countries were represented, alongside an additional entry listed under World Taekwondo (Costa Rica).
10 official weight categories were contested.
7 nations claimed at least one gold medal. Mexico, Brazil and Russia topped the gold medal standings with two titles each. Israel, Türkiye, Georgia and Kazakhstan each secured one gold medal.
Bahrain celebrated its first World Para Taekwondo medal through Ebrahim Samqa.
Mahmut Bozteke and Silvana Mayara Cardoso Fernandes completed three consecutive Grand Prix victories during the 2026 season.
The event highlighted the growing competitiveness of Para Taekwondo, with established Paralympic champions facing increasingly strong opposition from athletes across several continents.
ATTENTION NOW TURNS TO THE WORLD TAEKWONDO GRAND PRIX
Following the conclusion of the Para Taekwondo competition, the Palais des Sports Marcel Cerdan will continue hosting world-class action from 9 to 11 October with the Paris 2026 World Taekwondo Grand Prix Series.
The opening day of Olympic-style competition, scheduled for Friday, 9 October, will feature three weight categories:
Women’s +67 kg
Men’s -58 kg
Men’s +80 kg
The three-day tournament will bring together leading international athletes competing for valuable ranking points and major Grand Prix honours.
Paris remains a significant destination on the international taekwondo calendar, as elite competitors continue their preparations and ambitions on the road towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The official competition programme confirms the dates and weight categories scheduled for the remaining three days.
Ricardo Hernández
MundoTaekwondo.com
International coverage from Paris, France.
