Two medals, two fifth places and several points in the Tae Kwon Do world ranking ahead of the “Paris 2024” Olympic Games.
This was the story of our pre-Olympic team in the powerful international G2 tournament called BELGIAN OPEN held in Lommel.
Konstantinos Hamalidis, third at the 2021 European Championships in Sofia, won silver with -68kg, while 2019 “silver” world champion in Manchester, Apostolis Telikostoglou, took bronze with -80kg. In addition, the pre-Olympic team presented by the Hellenic Taekwondo Federation, had two fifth places with the protagonists Nasia Mitsopoulou (-67kg) and Phaedra Kaltekis (-57kg).
Hamalidis, number 1 on the board, on the way to the final had four victories, namely 2-0 (10-4, 6-5) over American Young, 2-1 (4-3, 1-4, 7 – 6) over the Belgian Ali, 2-0 (7-1, 7-6) over the French Tselamootto, while in the semifinals he had a bye after the Turkish Cavurat did not compete due to injury. In claiming the gold medal, he faced Uzbek Pulatov from whom he lost 2-0 (4-1, 9-0), thus placing second in the -68 kg category where a total of 57 athletes participated.
At -80kg, Telikostoglou did not drop a set until the semifinals. They defeated Björgvinsson (Iceland / 3-2, 12-1), Antilkhanov (Kazakhstan / 14-6, 9-5) and Ruiz Domenech (Spain / 7-1, 6-3) 2-0, only to lose by 2 – 1 (3-2, 5-7, 6-4) in the quartet of Uzbeko Salaev, Asian champion in 2022 in Chancheon, South Korea.
Kaltekis and Mitsopoulou had two wins in three matches. Caltech defeated Croatisa Dinkovic 2-0 (2-0, 7-2) and Harnsugin of Thailand 2-1 (2-4, 7-2, 8-8), but were defeated in the quarterfinals by Marton (Hungary). with 2 -0 (5-1, 4-0). Mitsopoulou defeated Yukumbova of France 2-1 (3-0, 7-12, 8-5) and Lamanda of Indonesia 2-0 (4-3, 5-4), but lost to the world champion in the round of 16 of 2022 in Guadalajara, Single of Mexico 2-0 (6-2, 8-4).
The “silver” world champion in 2022 in Mexico, Thenia Sarvanakis, made her first appearance at -67 kg, with a victory in two matches (including the 2-1 defeat against the number 1 on the board, the French owner of two world medals). and nine European medals, Viet Enin), while the 7th Olympic medalist from Tokyo, Fenia Tzeli (-62kg), came with two victories until the round of 16, where she was defeated 2-0 by the 2022 World champion in Guadalajara , Tsaari. from Belgium. Dionysis Rapsomanikis was also left out of the round of 16 in the -58 kg category.
The coaches of the pre-Olympic team are Theodoros Zinelis and Pantelis Efraimidis.
source: iefi merida
