Four days of elite competition, 18 champions and 72 medals mark a successful World Taekwondo and Para Taekwondo Grand Prix in France. Asia dominates the Olympic medal standings, Brazil excels across both disciplines, and Para Taekwondo demonstrates its growing international strength.

MUNDOTAEKWONDO | PARIS, FRANCE | 11 OCTOBER 2026

The Paris 2026 World Taekwondo and Para Taekwondo Grand Prix concluded as a major sporting and organisational success, bringing together some of the world’s finest Olympic and Paralympic athletes for four days of outstanding competition at the Palais des Sports Marcel Cerdan in Levallois-Perret, France.

Held from 8 to 11 October, the event delivered high-level performances, memorable victories and significant international achievements, reinforcing France’s position as a leading destination for world-class taekwondo.

Across the two competitions, 18 gold medals were awarded, alongside 18 silvers and 36 bronzes, producing 72 podium positions and demonstrating the remarkable international diversity of modern taekwondo.

Brazil emerged as one of the event’s outstanding nations, capturing four gold medals across Olympic and Para Taekwondo.

Iran also delivered an exceptional performance in the Olympic Grand Prix, while Mexico and Russia joined Brazil at the top of the Para Taekwondo gold-medal standings.

Beyond the sporting results, the championship highlighted the successful organisational efforts of the French Taekwondo Federation (FFTDA) and World Taekwondo, the performance of WAYCHAMP’s electronic scoring system and the continued development of Para Taekwondo.

FRANCE AND WORLD TAEKWONDO DELIVER A SUCCESSFUL INTERNATIONAL EVENT

The French Taekwondo Federation, working in close collaboration with World Taekwondo, successfully delivered four days of elite international competition.

The tournament began on 8 October with the World Para Taekwondo Grand Prix, followed by three days of Olympic taekwondo competition from 9 to 11 October.

The Palais des Sports Marcel Cerdan provided the setting for a major international sporting occasion, bringing together athletes, coaches, technical officials, referees and representatives of national federations.

The coordination between the FFTDA, World Taekwondo and the local organising teams contributed significantly to the event’s success.

The championship also benefited from the professionalism of its technical officials and international referees, whose work supported the development of the competitions.

The positive organisational balance strengthens France’s international sporting reputation, particularly following the success of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The official programme confirmed the integration of both competitions into a four-day.

WAYCHAMP MAKES A POSITIVE IMPRESSION

Another important aspect of the Grand Prix was the performance of WAYCHAMP, the electronic Protector and Scoring System (PSS) selected for the competition.

The system supported the development of high-level matches involving some of the world’s leading athletes, providing another important international platform for the application of electronic scoring technology.

THE PRESENCE OF DR. CHUNGWON CHOUE HOLDS PARTICULAR SIGNIFICANCE

The presence of World Taekwondo President Dr. Chungwon Choue was especially appreciated, coming shortly after a difficult personal period following the passing of his wife, Mrs. Lee Yoo-kyung.

Her death on 27 September prompted expressions of sympathy and solidarity from the international taekwondo community.

Dr. Choue’s participation in the Paris event was therefore particularly meaningful, reflecting his longstanding commitment to the sport and its continued international development.

At a time of personal grief, his presence was valued with deep respect and consideration.

The international taekwondo community has expressed its condolences to Dr. Choue and his family, recognising the human dimension behind his institutional responsibilities.

PARA TAEKWONDO DEMONSTRATES ITS GROWING GLOBAL STRENGTH

One of the most significant achievements of Paris 2026 was the successful staging of the World Para Taekwondo Grand Prix.

The competition, held on 8 October, brought together 113 athletes from 30 countries, alongside an additional delegation listed under World Taekwondo (Costa Rica).

Ten official K44 weight categories were contested, with seven nations claiming at least one gold medal.

Mexico, Brazil and Russia led the gold-medal standings with two titles each, while Israel, Türkiye, Georgia and Kazakhstan secured one gold apiece.

The figures illustrate the competitive depth of Para Taekwondo and its continued evolution as an established discipline within the Paralympic Movement.

The event featured Paralympic champions, experienced international competitors and athletes representing emerging national programmes.

MEXICO AND BRAZIL SHINE IN PARA TAEKWONDO

Mexico delivered one of the strongest performances of the Para Grand Prix.

Claudia Romero claimed gold in the women’s K44 –47kg category after defeating France’s Zakia Khudadadi, the Paris 2024 Paralympic bronze medallist.

Romero added another prestigious title to her international record, reinforcing her position among the leading athletes in the division.

Mexico’s second gold came through Paralympic champion Juan Diego García López, who defeated Brazil’s Valter Sedano Delfino de Oliveira in the men’s K44 –70kg final.

The Mexican delegation also secured two bronze medals through Jessica García Quijano and Luis Mario Nájera.

Brazil matched Mexico’s two gold medals through outstanding performances in the women’s divisions.

Silvana Mayara Cardoso Fernandes captured the K44 –57kg title after defeating compatriot Maria Eduarda Machado Stumpf.

The victory completed her third consecutive Grand Prix gold medal of the 2026 season.

Paralympic champion Ana Carolina Silva de Moura delivered Brazil’s second title by defeating France’s Djelika Diallo in the K44 –65kg final.

Brazil finished the Para Grand Prix with an impressive six medals: two golds, three silvers and one bronze.

PARALYMPIC CHAMPIONS REINFORCE THE COMPETITION’S PRESTIGE

Israel’s Asaf Yasur, Türkiye’s Mahmut Bozteke and several other established Paralympic stars demonstrated their quality throughout the championship.

Yasur claimed gold in the men’s K44 –58kg category after defeating Azerbaijan’s Sabir Zeynalov, ending his opponent’s sequence of Grand Prix victories.

Bozteke continued his remarkable campaign by capturing the men’s K44 –63kg gold medal, completing three consecutive Grand Prix titles in 2026.

Georgia’s Ana Japaridze also produced one of the tournament’s notable performances, defeating Türkiye’s Meryem Betül Çavdar in the women’s K44 –52kg final.

Kazakhstan celebrated through Nurlan Dombayev, champion in the men’s K44 –80kg division.

Russia completed its successful campaign with gold medals from Elena Savinskaia in the women’s K44 +65kg division and Aliaskhab Ramazanov in the men’s K44 +80kg category.

The range of champions demonstrated the competitive maturity of a discipline that continues to strengthen its position on the international sporting calendar.

BAHRAIN CELEBRATES AN HISTORIC FIRST MEDAL

One of the most important stories of the Para Grand Prix came from Bahrain.

Ebrahim Samqa secured the bronze medal in the men’s K44 –63kg category, achieving his country’s first medal in World Para Taekwondo competition.

The result represented an important milestone for Bahrain and provided another example of the sport’s expanding international reach.

Samqa shared the bronze-medal positions with Spain’s Joel Martín Villalobos.

Their performances added further significance to an event characterised by strong international representation.

For MundoTaekwondo, Bahrain’s achievement represents the type of sporting progress that illustrates how Para Taekwondo is creating opportunities for athletes and national programmes to develop and compete at the highest level.

PARIS 2026 WORLD PARA TAEKWONDO GRAND PRIX: COMPLETE RESULTS

8 OCTOBER 2026

The following results have been verified against the official World Taekwondo medal database.

WOMEN’S K44 CATEGORIES

K44 WOMEN –47 KG

Gold: Claudia Romero (MEX)
Silver: Zakia Khudadadi (FRA)
Bronze: Lia Chachibaia (GEO)
Bronze: Nurcihan Ekinci Gül (TUR)

K44 WOMEN –52 KG

Gold: Ana Japaridze (GEO)
Silver: Meryem Betül Çavdar (TUR)
Bronze: Jessica García Quijano (MEX)
Bronze: Marija Mićev (SRB)

K44 WOMEN –57 KG

Gold: Silvana Mayara Cardoso Fernandes (BRA)
Silver: Maria Eduarda Machado Stumpf (BRA)
Bronze: Sophie Caverzan (FRA)
Bronze: Gamze Özcan (TUR)

K44 WOMEN –65 KG

Gold: Ana Carolina Silva de Moura (BRA)
Silver: Djelika Diallo (FRA)
Bronze: Patrycja Zewar (POL)
Bronze: Seçil Er (TUR)

K44 WOMEN +65 KG

Gold: Elena Savinskaia (RUS)
Silver: Eleni Papastamatopoulou (GRE)
Bronze: Jelena Rasić (SRB)
Bronze: Amy Truesdale (GBR)

MEN’S K44 CATEGORIES

K44 MEN –58 KG

Gold: Asaf Yasur (ISR)
Silver: Sabir Zeynalov (AZE)
Bronze: Gustavo Antony Czerniak Ruppel (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: Antonino Bossolo (ITA)
Bronze: Shunsuke Kudo (JPN)

K44 MEN –80 KG

Gold: Nurlan Dombayev (KAZ)
Silver: Joel Gomes da Silva (BRA)
Bronze: Luis Mario Nájera (MEX)
Bronze: Zhanbolat Kaziyev (KAZ)

K44 MEN +80 KG

Gold: Aliaskhab Ramazanov (RUS)
Silver: Matt Bush (GBR)
Bronze: Adem Arda Özkul (TUR)
Bronze: Bilal Iakhiaev (RUS)

OLYMPIC GRAND PRIX: BRAZIL AND IRAN LEAD AS ASIA DOMINATES

Following the successful Para Taekwondo competition, the Paris 2026 World Taekwondo Grand Prix brought together the international Olympic elite from 9 to 11 October.

Eight titles were contested, with Brazil and Iran finishing joint first in the gold-medal standings.

Both countries secured two gold medals.

South Korea finished third with one gold, two silvers and one bronze, recording the highest overall medal tally among the participating nations.

The championship also produced gold-medal performances from China, Great Britain and Hungary.

BRAZIL’S OUTSTANDING GRAND PRIX CAMPAIGN

Brazil’s Maria Clara Pacheco continued her excellent international season by capturing the women’s –57kg title.

Having previously claimed gold in Rome and Muju, Pacheco completed a remarkable sequence of three consecutive Grand Prix victories.

The reigning world champion demonstrated her quality once again, reinforcing her status among the leading athletes in Olympic taekwondo.

Brazil celebrated another major achievement on the final day through Henrique Marques Rodrigues Fernandes, who claimed gold in the men’s –80kg category.

Combined with Brazil’s two titles in Para Taekwondo, these results made the South American nation one of the outstanding delegations of the entire four-day event.

Across both disciplines, Brazil secured four gold medals, three silvers and one bronze.

IRAN REAFFIRMS ITS INTERNATIONAL STRENGTH

Iran also enjoyed a remarkable tournament.

Abolfazl Zandi captured the men’s –58kg title after defeating South Korea’s Olympic champion Tae-joon Park.

Meanwhile, reigning Olympic champion Arian Salimi claimed gold in the men’s +80kg category following his victory over Great Britain’s Caden Cunningham.

The encounter renewed one of the sport’s most compelling heavyweight rivalries.

Iran’s two titles reinforced its position among the major powers of international taekwondo.

SOUTH KOREA LEADS IN TOTAL MEDALS

South Korea recorded four podium finishes, the highest individual national total in the Olympic Grand Prix.

Jinho Mun claimed gold in the men’s –68kg division.

Tae-joon Park and Hyang-gi Kim secured silver medals, while Jun Jang added bronze.

The results demonstrated South Korea’s consistency and competitive depth across several Olympic weight categories.

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS MAKE THEIR MARK

Great Britain’s Lauren Williams delivered one of the championship’s most inspiring performances.

Williams captured the women’s +67kg title, returning to the top of the Grand Prix podium for the first time since 2018.

Hungary’s Viviana Márton also celebrated gold in the women’s –67kg division, defeating Côte d’Ivoire’s experienced Ruth Gbagbi.

China completed the list of Olympic Grand Prix champion nations through Jingyue Ma, who captured gold in the women’s –49kg category.

PARIS 2026 WORLD TAEKWONDO GRAND PRIX: COMPLETE RESULTS

DAY 1 | 9 OCTOBER

MEN –58 KG

Gold: Abolfazl Zandi (IRI)
Silver: Tae-joon Park (KOR)
Bronze: Jesús Fraile Rodríguez (ESP)
Bronze: Ja’afar Aldaoud (JOR)

WOMEN +67 KG

Gold: Lauren Williams (GBR)
Silver: Lei Xu (CHN)
Bronze: Anastasiia Kosmycheva (RUS)
Bronze: Luana Márton (HUN)

MEN +80 KG

Gold: Arian Salimi (IRI)
Silver: Caden Cunningham (GBR)
Bronze: Seif Eissa (EGY)
Bronze: Motaz Ifaoui (TUN)

DAY 2 | 10 OCTOBER

WOMEN –57 KG

Gold: Maria Clara Pacheco (BRA)
Silver: Fadia Khirfan (JOR)
Bronze: Mariya Sevostyanova (KAZ)
Bronze: Faith Dillon (USA)

MEN –68 KG

Gold: Jinho Mun (KOR)
Silver: Najmiddin Kosimkhojiev (UZB)
Bronze: Jun Jang (KOR)
Bronze: Zaid Kareem (JOR)

WOMEN –67 KG

Gold: Viviana Márton (HUN)
Silver: Ruth Gbagbi (CIV)
Bronze: Ozoda Sobirjonova (UZB)
Bronze: Styliani Marentaki (GRE)

DAY 3 | 11 OCTOBER

WOMEN –49 KG

Gold: Jingyue Ma (CHN)
Silver: Hyang-gi Kim (KOR)
Bronze: Chieh-ling Wang (TPE)
Bronze: Kamilah Salim (HUN)

MEN –80 KG

Gold: Henrique Marques Rodrigues Fernandes (BRA)
Silver: Jasurbek Jaysunov (UZB)
Bronze: Victor Rodrigues (USA)
Bronze: Haitam Zarhouti (MAR)

FINAL OLYMPIC GRAND PRIX MEDAL STANDINGS

LEADING NATIONS

1st (Joint) – BRAZIL

2 Gold | 0 Silver | 0 Bronze
Total: 2 medals

1st (Joint) – IRAN

2 Gold | 0 Silver | 0 Bronze
Total: 2 medals

3rd – SOUTH KOREA

1 Gold | 2 Silver | 1 Bronze
Total: 4 medals

CONTINENTAL MEDAL RANKING

Asia secured 50% of all medals awarded in the Olympic competition.

Europe followed with 25%, while the Americas and Africa each accounted for 12.5%.

The figures underline Asia’s continued influence in Olympic taekwondo, while also demonstrating the strong presence of athletes from other continents.

PARIS 2026: A CELEBRATION OF SPORTING EXCELLENCE AND INCLUSION

The conclusion of the Paris 2026 World Taekwondo and Para Taekwondo Grand Prix leaves a positive overall balance.

Over four days, the international taekwondo community witnessed 18 championship titles, 72 podium positions and memorable performances from Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

The success of the Para Taekwondo Grand Prix was especially significant.

Its international participation, competitive performances and historic achievements, including Bahrain’s first World Para Taekwondo medal, demonstrated the progress of a discipline that continues to develop within the Paralympic Movement.

The growing competitiveness of Para Taekwondo also reflects the importance of providing international opportunities for athletes with disabilities and strengthening the technical development of national programmes.

At the organisational level, the French Taekwondo Federation and World Taekwondo deserve recognition for delivering a successful championship that brought together Olympic and Paralympic excellence.

The performance of WAYCHAMP’s electronic scoring technology also contributed positively to the overall assessment of the competition.

Meanwhile, the appreciated presence of World Taekwondo President Dr. Chungwon Choue, following his recent family bereavement, provided a meaningful reminder of the respect and solidarity that unite the international taekwondo community.

Paris 2026 was more than a gathering of champions. It was a demonstration of how Olympic and Paralympic taekwondo can continue developing together, combining sporting excellence, technological progress, international cooperation and inclusion.

As attention turns towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the World Taekwondo Grand Prix circuit remains an important platform for the world’s leading athletes.

The Paris edition has once again demonstrated the international strength of taekwondo and its continued potential for growth.

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