Jang Jun secures Korea's third taekwondo gold with 2-0 victory at Hangzhou Asian Games

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Published: 25 Sep. 2023, 19:39 Updated: 25 Sep. 2023, 20:35

Jang Jun secures Korea's third taekwondo gold with 2-0 victory at Hangzhou Asian Games

Korean taekwondo practitioner Jang Jun, right, kicks Hajimousaeinafouti Mahdi of Iran during the men's -58kg final at Lin'an Sports Culture Convention & Exhibition Center Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China on Monday. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Taekwondo practitioner Jang Jun won a gold medal in the men’s -58kg at the Hangzhou Asian Games on Monday after a 2-0 victory over Hajimousaeinafouti Mahdi of Iran in the final, claiming Korea’s third Asiad gold in taekwondo.

The final took place at Lin'an Sports Culture Convention & Exhibition Center Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China, with Jang grabbing the first round 5-4.

He also displayed a solid performance in the second round, taking the score to 4-4 but winning the round. If practitioners are tied on points, the one who received fewer penalties during the match wins.

The 2-0 victory gave Jang his first Asiad gold in his first Games.

Jang’s gold was also Korea’s third gold in taekwondo after two golds from Kang Wan-jin and Cha Yea-eun a day earlier. The two medaled in poomsae — a sequence of taekwondo techniques linked together into a pattern of moves.

Taekwondo is one of the sports that Korea has the best chance of securing multiple medals in this year, as it has been the winningest country in the tournament with 85 medals to date.

Korea has won 61 golds, 16 silvers and eight bronzes since the 1986 Asiad in Seoul. They also claimed the most medals in 2018, winning five gold, five silver and two bronze.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]