Russia, Turkey Take Overall Men's, Women's Title Each at 4th World Para-Taekwondo Championships in Lausanne
Russia won four gold medals, four silver medals and one bronze medal for a total 68 points for the overall men's title at the 4th World Para-Taekwondo Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland on June 8, 2013.
According to the team ranking by points, Azerbaijan came next with one gold, five silvers and four bronze medals for 52 points, followed by Turkey with three golds and one bronze for 38 points, and Iran with three golds for 33 points. Spain finished fifth with one gold, one silver and one bronze for 33 points.
In the women's division, Turkey clinched the overall women's title with one gold, one silver and one bronze, followed by Russia with three silvers and one bronze. Azerbaijan came next with one gold and one silver, followed by Denmark with one gold and Canada with one gold.
The Good Fighting Spirit Award went to Nepal, while Mongolia took the Active Participation Award.
Ukraine's Viktoriia Marchuk was selected as the female MVP of the championships, while Azerbaijan's Jahangir Bayramov as the male MVP. Russia's Alexander Efremov was chosen as the male team's best coach, while Turkey's Muammer Canbaz as the female team's best coach.
A total of 82 athletes from 25 countries participated in the one-day para-taekwondo event, which was held at the Centre Sportiv de Grande-Vennes in northeastern Lausanne. Twenty-six countries submitted their entries, but Iraq failed to send its athletes at the last moment.
At the inaugural World Para-Taekwondo Championships in June 2009 in Baku, Azerbaijan, 36 athletes from 16 countries competed, compared with 65 athletes from 21 countries at the 2nd World Para-Taekwondo Championships in St. Petersburg, Russia in May 2010. The 3rd World Para-Taekwondo Championships held in Santa Cruz, Aruba in November 2012 attracted 53 athletes from 14 countries.
Russia sent the largest contingent of 16 athletes, including 12 males, to the 4th World Para-Taekwondo Championships, followed by Azerbaijan with 15 athletes. Turkey came next with 11 athletes. Spain dispatched six para-athletes, while Mongolia sent five.
Iran, France, Ukraine and Brazil each sent three athletes to the Lausanne event, while Poland sent two. A total of 15 countries dispatched one athlete. They are Nepal, Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Great Britain, Greece, Israel, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Canada, Guatemala and Mexico.
Prior to the final matches of the 4th World Para-Taekwondo Championships, there was an opening ceremony. At the opening ceremony, WTF President Chungwon Choue said, "It is with great pride and pleasure that I welcome you all here to the Olympic capital."
"I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations and appreciation to the Swiss Taekwondo Association for their hard work and collaboration in hosting both of these inspiring events," Choue said.
He said, "I am proud to announce that yesterday the WTF signed MOUs with the International Sport Federation for Para-Athletes with Intellectual Disability and the Cerebral Palsy International Sport and Recreation Association to work together to include new competitors and disciplines into taekwondo.