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| taekwondo at the Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
| Name | Taekwondo at the Summer Olympics |
| Sport | Taekwondo |
| Governing body | World Taekwondo |
| First | 1988 (demonstration), 2000 (official) |
| Number of events | 8 (4 men, 4 women) |
| Previous | 2016 Summer Olympics |
| Current | 2020 Summer Olympics |
| Next | 2024 Summer Olympics |
taekwondo at the Summer Olympics is the international taekwondo competition held as part of the Summer Olympic Games. Introduced as a demonstration sport at the 1988 Summer Olympics and the 1992 Summer Olympics, taekwondo was added to the official programme at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Events follow rules set by World Taekwondo and are contested by athletes representing National Olympic Committees from across the International Olympic Committee membership.
Taekwondo's Olympic history began when the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul featured demonstration competitions, spotlighting practitioners from South Korea, United States, China, Iran, and Spain. Further demonstrations at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona helped build support within the International Olympic Committee and among federations such as World Taekwondo Federation (now World Taekwondo). The sport achieved full medal status at the 2000 Summer Olympics after lobbying involving figures from Korea Olympic Committee, International Olympic Committee members, and continental bodies like European Taekwondo Union and Asian Taekwondo Union. Changes to rules, equipment, and judging—driven by technology from companies like Daedo and initiatives endorsed by Fédération Internationale de Football Association-related arbitration panels—have evolved competition safety and scoring through successive editions, including major revisions prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2012 Summer Olympics. Governance disputes, doping cases investigated by the World Anti-Doping Agency and appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport have occasionally affected athlete eligibility and medal outcomes.
Olympic taekwondo matches are contested on a sprung competition mat within a ring overseen by a referee and three corner judges, with electronic scoring from protectors supplied under license by manufacturers used in cooperation with World Taekwondo rules. Bouts comprise three rounds with a one-minute break, and victory may be achieved by points, knockout, or referee stoppage; tie-breaking uses the golden point system similar to protocols applied in World Taekwondo Championships. The tournament employs a single-elimination bracket combined with a repechage that grants two bronze medals per weight class, a format comparable to systems used in judo at the Summer Olympics and wrestling at the Summer Olympics. Match officials receive certification through panels convened by World Taekwondo and continental unions including the Pan American Taekwondo Union and African Taekwondo Union.
Since 2000, the Olympic programme has featured eight weight classes: four men's divisions and four women's divisions, aligning with weight categories recognized by World Taekwondo. Men currently compete in flyweight, featherweight, welterweight, and heavyweight divisions, while women contest the analogous flyweight, featherweight, welterweight, and heavyweight divisions. Specific kilogram limits have been adjusted across Games, echoing periodic reclassification seen in events like the World Taekwondo Championships and continental championships including the European Taekwondo Championships and Asian Taekwondo Championships. Each National Olympic Committee may enter a limited number of athletes, ensuring representation across continents overseen by Continental Olympic Associations.
Olympic qualification combines results from World Taekwondo Olympic rankings, continental qualification tournaments, and host country allocations, supplemented by Tripartite Commission invitations coordinated with the International Olympic Committee. The ranking system awards quota places based on performances at events such as the World Taekwondo Championships, Grand Prix series, and continental championships; the top athletes in each Olympic weight class per the World Taekwondo Olympic Ranking secure berths. Continental qualification events—held by bodies like the European Olympic Committees and Pan American Sports Organization—allocate additional spots, while the host nation receives reserved quotas as occurred for Australia in 2000 and Japan in 2020. National selection policies frequently involve trials organized by national federations such as Korea Taekwondo Association, USA Taekwondo, and Chinese Taekwondo Association.
Medal tables reflect dominance by nations with strong taekwondo programs, notably South Korea, which leads total gold counts, followed by countries like Iran, Mexico, China, and Turkey. Standout editions include the 2000 Summer Olympics where athletes from South Korea and Cuba featured prominently, and the 2016 Summer Olympics where breakthroughs occurred for federations such as Jordan and Uzbekistan. Records tracked include most Olympic medals by individual athletes, most golds by a country in a single Games, and youngest/oldest medallists; these statistics are often compared with results from the World Taekwondo Championships and multi-sport events like the Asian Games and Pan American Games.
Memorable Olympic taekwondo athletes include Hadi Saei of Iran, Steven López of the United States, Hwang Kyung-seon of South Korea, Jade Jones of Great Britain, and Servet Tazegül of Turkey, each cited for multiple Olympic medals or historic victories. Iconic moments encompass contentious judging appeals brought before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the first Olympic gold by a Middle Eastern athlete leading to national celebrations in Jordan, and technical innovations such as the adoption of electronic hogu resulting from collaborations with companies supplying gear at Beijing 2008. Upsets by lower-ranked fighters in London 2012 and Rio 2016 highlighted the sport's unpredictability and the efficacy of repechage in awarding bronze medals.
Category:Taekwondo Category:Olympic sports