The 2026 World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships got underway in Chuncheon, Korea this morning, with eight Great Britain athletes taking to the mats on the opening day of competition and proudly representing their country on the world stage.
Across the individual and team competitions, the British athletes produced a series of determined and impressive performances against some of the world’s leading Poomsae competitors. While there were no medals for Great Britain on the opening day, there was plenty to be proud of, with several athletes progressing through multiple rounds and showcasing the quality of Poomsae being developed across the British Taekwondo community.
The standout performance came from Ajay Singh Rawat, who reached the quarter-final stage of the U50 Individual Male competition following a superb run through the opening rounds.
LTA Lions athlete Ajay began his campaign in the Round of 32 against Chung Yi Wang of Hong Kong, producing a composed performance to take Koryo 8.460–8.200 before extending his advantage in Chonkwon, where he scored 8.520 compared to his opponent’s 8.020.
That victory sent Ajay into the Round of 16, where he faced Kiribata Abdulhamid Konde of Uganda. He continued to impress, securing an 8.440–7.620 victory in Shipjin before winning Taeguk 8.460–7.760 to book his place in the quarter-finals.
A place in the final four was then at stake against Minki Seong of the United States, but despite another strong showing, Ajay was unable to progress. Seong took Taebaek 8.760–8.360 before winning Pyongwon 8.800–8.460. Minki would go on to win gold later in the day, highlighting the calibre of the opposition.
Reaching the quarter-finals at a World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships represents a significant achievement for Ajay, who can be extremely proud of his performances throughout the day.
Cuba Wilson also made an impressive start to her World Championships campaign in the U17 Individual Female division.
The NTC athlete faced Ana Camila Olarte Palacio of Colombia in the Round of 64 and immediately demonstrated her quality, scoring 8.560 in Keumgang against 8.020 from her opponent. Cuba followed that with another excellent performance in Pyongwon, scoring 8.640 compared to Palacio’s 8.160 to progress to the Round of 32.
Her next challenge came against Yuqi Li of China, who proved a strong opponent and would go to win silver in the competition. Cuba produced an 8.740 in Taeguk, but Li took the opening round with 9.060 before edging the second contest in Taebaek 9.060–8.780.
Fearne Corkish of Kang Han took to the mats in the U14 Individual Female division, but was unable to overcome Indonesia’s Shegina Rahma Aulia Kurniav across two routines. Her opponent took Taeguk 8.740–8.540 before following it up with an 8.660–8.480 victory in Koryo.
In the U65 Individual Male division, Wayne Nicklin of Shin’s Taekwondo Academy received a bye through to the Round of 32, where he faced Denmark’s Ky-Tu Dang. The Danish athlete took Pyongwon 8.880–8.160 and Jitae 8.860–8.180 to bring Wayne’s competition to an end.
Wenqi Li of PremierKi also progressed directly to the Round of 32 in the U50 Individual Female category following a bye, where she faced Spain’s Vanesa Ortega Villodres. In a closely contested encounter, Ortega took Chonkwon 8.640–8.480 before winning Taebaek 8.700–8.460.
The final British representatives of Day One were the U30 Female Team of Renee Marshall (Nomad), Natasha Wilson (Central Taekwondo Academy) and Adrianna Beard (PremierKi).
After receiving a bye through the opening round, the trio faced an Iranian team in the Round of 16. Eventual silver medallists Iran took the opening performance 8.580–8.260 before recording 8.680 in Taeguk, with the British trio scoring 8.480.
Across the opening day, Great Britain’s athletes showed the commitment, composure and technical quality required to compete at the highest level of international Poomsae.
Congratulations to all eight athletes who represented Great Britain on Day One. Every performance contributes to the experience of competing on the world stage, and British Taekwondo is incredibly proud of the way our athletes represented their country in Chuncheon.
The Championships continue throughout the week, with more members of the Great Britain team preparing to take to the mats and continue the challenge against the world’s best.
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