(ATR) After more controversy involving taekwondo at the Olympics, leaders of the sport say they will pursue a major change aimed at addressing problematic judging that undermines the credibility of the sport.
Sarah Stevenson of Great Britain won a reversal of a decision that enabled her to compete for a bronze medal in Beijing. (Getty Images)For the first time in the short Olympic history of the high-speed martial art, a decision was reversed. And a Cuban competitor kicked a referee in the head over an unfavorable call.
Since taekwondo made its debut at the Sydney Games in 2000, it has been continually embroiled in protests over judging.
The troubles come despite efforts by federation president Chungwon Choue to enact changes since his election four years ago as a reformer. Taekwondo is considered as one of the sports that may receive extra scrutiny next year when the IOC considers which sports to include on the Olympic program in 2016.
Judging Errors Force Reversed Decision
On Saturday, Chinese two-time champion Chen Zhong was declared the winner and, after a protest, later declared the loser in a quarter-final.
That handed Britain's Sarah Stevenson a +67kg heavyweight semi-final spot, after she filed a protest to the advisory committee of the World Taekwondo Federation.
Stevenson initially lost the match after judges failed to score her high-kick to the head of Chen which would have given her two points when she was down 1-0 in the closing third round.
WTF secretary general Jin Suk Yang says the advisory committee watched videos of the bout and interviewed referees and judges before ruling that the kick was valid.
“We don't have ample time yet to analyze details. We'll take proper action against whomever are responsible,” he told reporters after the incident. WTF secretary general Jin Suk Yang and President Chunwon Choue. (ATR)
Immediately after the disputed bout, Stevenson had said judges were “blantantly robbing” her of a place in the semi finals, saying they had “definitely” favored the hometown champion.
“There's one thing I hate about this sport. The judges can control people's lives and can take points away and they can do whatever they want,” she said.
She went on to lose to Mexico's Maria del Rosario Espinosa but fought through the second-chance tournament to claim Britain's first ever Olympic taekwondo medal, a bronze.
Four judges score points in every match. Points are given when three of them recognize a valid technique and press a button on their consoles.
The World Taekwondo Federation says it has been increasing the number of judges in a match, improving their skills and developing electronic protective gear for competitors to correctly register kicks and punches.
It will adopt an electronic protector system in the taekwondo competition at the 2012 London Olympic Games but the technology is also being used at the next WTF World Taekwondo Championships scheduled for October 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The WTF says it will set up an ad-hoc committee to deal with all the procedural and technical aspects regarding the use of electronic protectors and is also likely to introduce a video replay system at taekwondo competitions, to enable immediate correction of refereeing mistakes.
According to a WTF statement, president Chungwon Choue told his council members after the conclusion of the Olympic competition that he was determined to make changes necessary for fairer judging and refereeing.
“We made a difficult choice to correct the referee’s error in the middle of the competition. I thank the Competition Arbitration Board for executing such a difficult decision,” Choue said.
“I also give my applause to the team of China for humbly accepting the corrected decision for the sake of sportsmanship and for the development of taekwondo.”
Cuban Kicks Referee, Kicked out of Sport
A blatant act of unsportsmanlike conduct provided the second blot for taekwondo at the Beijing Olympics.
Cuban Angel Matos and his coach Leudis Gonzalez were banned for life after Matos kicked the referee in the face following his bronze-medal match disqualification. The kick against a referee that led to a lifetime ban for Cuba’s Angel Matos. (Getty Images)In some countries, such an attack could also be subject to criminal prosecution for assault charges.
Gonzalez offered no apology for the actions of his athlete in the mens 80+ kg match, claiming the referee had been “too strict” and then claiming the match had been fixed.
Matos was winning 3-2, with 1:02 in the second round, when he fell to the mat after being hit by his opponent, Kazakh Arman Chilmanov.
He was awaiting medical attention, when he was disqualified for exceeding the one minute of allowable injury time.
Matos angrily questioned the call, pushed a judge, then pushed and kicked referee Chakir Chelbat of Sweden and spat on the floor before being escorted out.
The WTF says its extraordinary sanction committee convened immediately after the match and based on the severity of the offence and contravention of the Olympic spirit, decided to expel the athlete and coach and will consider further penalties up to and including a life ban.
“I am now saying it loud and clear. From now on, I will not tolerate whatever it is that may hamper the process of creating our new image,” Choue said.
“It is simple and clear. Going against the tide is no longer an option. The exit door is open for anyone who does not want new change for the betterment of taekwondo.”
Choue also mentioned the inaugural meeting of the WTF Ethics Committee in Beijing on August 19, “with an IOC member as its chairman and four other internationally respected members”.
“It concluded that any person or organization bringing disgrace to the WTF will be referred to the Ethics Committee in strict compliance with the rules concerned,” he said.
Choue has also stressed the need for the global taekwondo community to focus efforts on keeping the sport in the Olympic Program for 2016 and beyond.
The taekwondo competition at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games wrapped up after four days of competition in Beijing, with a record 22 countries winning at least one medal from a total of 32 medals up for grabs.
Korea took home four golds, Mexico claimed two while host China – which also won a bronze - and Iran each collected one gold.
Written by Anthony Stavrinos
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