[Lausanne=Cho Yongdeok]
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Russia took four gold medals, seven silver medals and two bronze medals for the overall title at the 4th WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland on June 8, 2013.
In overall medal standings, Azerbaijan stood at second as it grabbed two golds, six silvers and four bronzes, followed by Turkey with four golds, one silver and two bronzes.
Spain came next with one gold, one silver and two bronzes, followed by Iran, France and Mongolia.
In the men’s division, Russia took the overall team title, followed by Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iran and Spain. In the women’s division, Turkey clinched the overall team title, followed by Russia, Azerbaijan, Denmark and Canada.
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 WTF 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.”
“The WTF is also continuing to work toward the inclusion on the Paralympic program. Today we take one step closer to realizing this dream, and the dream of so many athletes around the world,” WTF President Choue said.
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