Taekwondo Canada – Canada to field 16 athletes driven to deliver medals in all weight classes

OTTAWA— A talented squad of 16 Canadian taekwondo athletes are jetting off to Manchester, England on a mission to compete for the podium in each of their weight classes at the 2019 World Taekwondo Championships, May 15-19.

Taekwondo Canada will field eight women and eight men in 16 kyorugi Olympic weight classes. Each of the athletes punched their tickets to World Championships through their international ranking or by winning their division at the National Championships earlier this year in Montreal.

Skylar Park (Winnipeg) and Yvette Yong (Toronto), who were pre-selected for the premier international event in a non-Olympic year through their World Taekwondo rankings, will headline the talented group of Canucks representing four provinces (British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec). Yong is currently the top-ranked athlete in the world in the women’s 46kg division, and Park competes in the women’s 57kg class.

The following is a complete list of the 16 athletes who will hit the mat for the battle in Manchester:

Yvette Yong (Toronto) – F46kg                                    Cedric Genest (Levis, Que.) – M54kg       

Josipa Kafadar (Buranby, B.C.) – F49kg                    Yohan Chang (Vaughan, Ont.) – M58kg

Charlotte Brown (Quebec City) – F53kg                   Siddhartha Bhat (Pickering, Ont.) – M63

Skylar Park (Winnipeg) – F57kg                                   Hervan Nkogho (Quebec City) – M68kg

Ashley Kraayeveld (Toronto) – F62kg                       Eloi Paradis-Deschenes (Quebec City)– M74kg

Melissa Pagnotta (Toronto) – F67kg                         Christopher Iliesco (Montreal) – M80kg

Nathalie IIiesco (Montreal) – F73kg                          Jordan Stewart (Vaughan, Ont.) – M87kg

Yasmine Kermiche (Saint-Georges, Que.) – F73+ Marc-Andre Bergeron (Quebec City) – M87kg+

 

“This is a very young, yet experienced, group of athletes who have made steady progress, and demonstrated over the last year they can perform under some of the most intense conditions,” said Guy Thibault, performance director, Taekwondo Canada. “These athletes have worked very hard to achieve this honour to represent Canada. Our goals as a team are clear. We want to climb onto the World Championship podium. Each of these athletes are determined to give it everything they have to accomplish this in their respective weight classes.” 

 

Serving as the team leader for Canada at the World Championships, Thibault will be supported by seven coaches while guiding Team Canada in Manchester including:

 

Alain Bernier (Levis, Que.)                            Jae Park (Winnipeg)

Carla Bacco (Burlington, Ont.)                     Paul Germain (Quebec City)

Daniel Thornton (Abbotsford, B.C.)           Young Su Choung (Mississauga, Ont.)

Edward Fong (Richmond Hill, Ont.)

 

Complete details on the 2019 World Taekwondo Championships can be found at http://www.worldtaekwondo.org/competition/world-taekwondo-championships/championships-2019/information/

 

Taekwondo Canada is the National Sport Governing Body for Taekwondo in Canada. We are recognized by World Taekwondo, Pan American Taekwondo Union, and are members of the Canadian Olympic Committee, and the Canadian Paralympic Committee. Taekwondo Canada is supported by Sport Canada. Taekwondo Canada sends national teams to the Olympic Games, World Taekwondo Championships, Pan Am Taekwondo Championships, Pan Am Games, World Taekwondo Junior Championships, Poomsae World Championships, Pan Am Poomsae Championships, and is also targeting the 2020 Paralympic Games.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Chris Dornan

Taekwondo Canada

T: 403-620-8731

E-mail: cdornan@taekwondo-canada.com