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1999 World Tae Kwon Do Championships

Dateline: 10/04/99

Well, as a member of the cable-deprived, I didn't get to see the 1999 World Tae Kwon Do Championships, held in Edmonton, Canada this past June, until last week. But even after four months, the bouts were as exciting and action packed as could be. Televised on ESPN2 in the U.S., the tournament showcased the best tae kwon do stylists anywhere.

As I expected, the South Korean team dominated the standings, gathering 9 gold medals. But Europe and the Middle East had a good turnout in the medal rounds, including the Iran-Turkey men's middleweight final, and the Spanish women's 5 medals.

The tournament consisted of five days of sparring competition. ESPN2's coverage consisted mainly of final round matches, with particular focus on Team USA's bouts. Rules were the standard WTF tournament rules, requiring clean strikes to the torso or face to score points.

This competition really emphasized the fact that tae kwon do is truly a world sport. The Championships hosted 550 athletes from 66 countries around the world. Undoubtedly, many of these athletes will be the ones to watch in next year's Summer Olympics in Sydney.

That is, of course, if they make the cut. The TKD World Championships had 8 weight classes, allowing each country to field a fairly large team. However, Olympic TKD competition has only 4 weight classes. Each country will therefore have to pick the best of the best to represent them in the Y2K Olympics.

From my vantage point, watching the bouts on cable TV, one thing was clear: speed is everything. In each bout, first-strike reflexes racked up the winning points. In most weight classes, the ability to fire off quick attacks was often the deciding factor.

Here's the results of the championship matches:

In the men's competition, Korea came out on top in team standings with 95 points, followed by Iran with 43 points and Turkey with 38 points.

In the women's competition, Korea led with 70 points, followed by Spain with 51 points and Chinese Taipei with 47 points.

For more information on this exciting tae kwon do tournament, consult the following links:

• Tae Kwon Do at the 2000 Sydney Olympics
  Official page for TKD competition at next year's Olympic Games.
  

• 1999 World Tae Kwon Do Championships
  Official site of the 1999 worlds from the World Taekwondo Federation.
  

• WTF Competition Rules
  Official rules of WTF competition.
  

• Tae Kwon Do Times
  Online site for this magazine all about TKD.

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