Day Two of the 2026 World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships delivered a historic moment for Great Britain, as Ali Pourtaheri of PremierKi was crowned World Champion in the O65 Individual Male division, securing Britain’s first World Championship gold medal in 15 years.
The reigning European Champion produced an exceptional run through the competition in Chuncheon, Korea, showing composure, precision and experience throughout four demanding rounds before delivering when it mattered most in the final.
There were also strong performances from Zaw Torley, who reached the quarter-finals of the U30 Individual Male division, while the British teams and U14 Pair gained valuable experience competing against some of the world’s leading Poomsae athletes.
Reigning European Champion Ali entered the O65 Individual Male competition with high expectations, and the PremierKi athlete quickly showed exactly why he is one of the leading competitors in his division.
His campaign began in the Round of 32 against Portugal’s Jose Manuel Gradil, where Ali took control from the outset. He won Taebaek 8.500–8.200 before producing another strong performance in Chonkwon to win 8.460–7.740 and progress comfortably.
Canada’s Bhajan Mann awaited in the Round of 16, but once again Ali produced the goods. An 8.420–8.280 victory in Taebaek was followed by an impressive 8.520–8.120 success in Jitae, sending him into the quarter-finals.
There, Ali faced Spain’s Kwang Sup Oh Moon in a closely fought contest. He opened with a disciplined Shipjin performance to take the first round 8.880–8.780. Despite being narrowly outscored 8.820–8.780 in Koryo, Ali’s average score of 8.830 compared to his opponent’s 8.800 was enough to see him through to the final four.
Waiting in the semi-finals was home favourite Byoungyoung Lim, setting up another intense encounter. Ali took an early advantage in Keumgang, scoring 8.860 to lead by 0.100 heading into the second round. With a place in the World Championship final on the line, Ali delivered his highest score of the day, with his Chonkwon performance earning a superb 9.000, while Lim scored 8.920, sending Ali through to the gold-medal contest.
Standing between the British athlete and a gold medal was Denmark’s Jorn Andersen, who provided one final test on the biggest stage, and one that Ali was more than capable of overcoming.
Another seamless performance saw him take the first round of Pyongwon 8.900–8.600, putting himself within touching distance of the World Championship title. He then produced another display of power, precision and control to secure the gold, despite Andersen narrowly taking the second round 9.020–8.940.
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With that, Great Britain’s first World Poomsae gold medal in 15 years was secured. Ali added the biggest title of all to his incredible list of achievements, with World Bronze secured in 2010 in Uzbekistan, and World Silver in Hong Kong 2024, as well as European gold in Estonia in April 2025, as he produced yet another unforgettable performance on the world stage.
Everyone at British Taekwondo is incredibly proud of Ali and this unbelievable achievement. His dedication and commitment to our Martial Art has been unwavering throughout the years, and this is an incredible reward for that discipline throughout his Taekwondo journey.
Elsewhere, Zaw Torley of Arumchan Korea arrived in Chuncheon as the seventh seed in the U30 Individual Male division and lived up to that reputation with an impressive run to the quarter-finals.
His competition began against India’s Ronak Mohanlal Prajapati in the Round of 64. The opening Pyongwon round could not separate the two athletes, with both scoring 8.740, but Zaw produced an exemplary Shipjin performance to score 8.920 and edge ahead of his opponent’s 8.880.
Japan’s Hyan Suzuki provided the next challenge in the Round of 32, where Zaw once again demonstrated his impeccable technique. He edged Pyongwon 8.960–8.900 before producing another narrow victory in Taeguk, scoring 8.980 compared to Suzuki’s 8.960.
His confidence continued to grow in the Round of 16 against Australia’s Andrew Tran. Zaw took Taeguk 8.880–8.800 before producing a scintillating Keumgang performance to win 8.800–8.320 and book his place in the quarter-finals.
There, he faced the Netherlands’ Joel van der Weide in an intense battle that went down to the wire.
Zaw was edged out 9.160–9.080 in Taeguk before another extremely close contest in Jitae saw van der Weide prevail 9.260–9.220.
Despite his quarter-final exit, Zaw can be incredibly proud of his performance in Chuncheon. His run through four rounds demonstrated the quality, consistency and composure of a young athlete competing at the highest level, and he has provided plenty of evidence of his potential to continue establishing himself among the world’s leading athletes in the years ahead.
Earlier in the day, Augustine Kwon of Nomad and Alexandria Stefaniak of Kang Han began their U14 Pair campaign against Mongolia in the Round of 32.
The British pair were beaten 8.760–8.420 in Taeguk before Mongolia again came out on top in Taebaek, scoring 8.680 compared to the British pair’s 8.260.
Although their competition ended in the Round of 32, Augustine and Alexandria can take valuable experience from competing on the World Championship stage and representing Great Britain in Chuncheon.
The U60 Male Team of Mark Pawlett, Simon Negus and Surath Lama entered the competition at the quarter-final stage, where they faced a strong team from Spain.
Having watched Spain score 8.680 in Chonkwon, the British trio took to the mats and recorded 8.200. Spain then increased their score to 8.760 in Pyongwon, with the British team scoring 8.120.
Despite the result, there was plenty of respect between the two teams, and Mark, Simon and Surath can be pleased with the way they conducted themselves while competing at the highest level of international Poomsae.
It was a similar story for the U50 Male Team of James Barrett, Ajay Singh Rawat and Alasdair Cox, who faced formidable opposition in their opening encounter, coming up against the World number one ranked team and home favourites Korea in the Round of 16.
Taking to the mats second, the British trio had already seen Korea record an impressive 9.160 in Jitae, setting an extremely high benchmark for the Great Britain team.
The British athletes produced a respectable 8.760, a score that would have put them in contention against many other opponents, before recording 8.720 in Pyongwon. However, the home favourites showed their class once again, scoring 9.100 in the second round to progress.
For James, Ajay and Alasdair, competing against the world’s number one ranked team on home soil provided another valuable experience at the very highest level.
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