Ottawa, ON – After three grueling matches today, Taekwondo Canada national team member and Burnaby, B.C. native Josipa Kafadar has earned another Olympic taekwondo spot for Canada at the Pan American Qualification Tournament in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Kafadar, 23, fought in the Women’s -49 division and defeated opponents from Cuba, Puerto Rico and

the number one seed in the tournament from Colombia. Kafadar has now earned a Paris 2024 quota spot for Canada and is eligible for nomination to Team Canada for this summer’s Olympic Games.

Kafadar is one of three Taekwondo Canada athletes who are in the Dominican Republic competing against some of the best in the continental union at the Pan American Qualification Tournament. The Continental Qualification Tournament is an opportunity for Taekwondo Canada to earn a maximum of three quota spots for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games by each athlete finishing Top 2 in their respective divisions.

With a stellar semifinal 2-1 win against Colombia’s Andrea Ramirez, Kafadar will now join Winnipeg’s Skylar Park who has already earned a quota spot for Canada through her World Taekwondo Olympic ranking and will be competing in her second Olympic Games this summer.

“I’m super thankful just to be here in the first place.” Said Kafadar shortly after her victory. “With such an intense match in the semi-finals it could have gone either way. I’m super proud of the efforts I have made to get here and I’m thankful for my coach, my training partner and everyone who has helped me along the way. Thank you to everyone. We are going to the Olympics.”

Kafadar returned to the Continental Qualifier in the W-49kg division after a strong performance at the Qualification Tournament for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. With four more years of experience, Kafadar had her eyes set on qualification once again and provided some insight on her preparations, “I am very grateful for the chance to fight for Team Canada and secure an Olympic spot. From a young age, I have dreamt of making the Olympic team. It is the goal I have been working towards since watching taekwondo in the 2008 Olympics. I have been pushing myself in ways I haven’t pushed myself before, and I appreciate the people who have helped me get to where I am and where I want to go.”

In speaking about Kafadar’s achievement, High Performance Director Dr. Allan Wrigley said, “It is always special to watch and experience an athlete achieve their dream. Josipa came into this tournament prepared and ready to take advantage of her opportunity. The team behind her from Coach Daniel Thornton, her training partner Shane Britton, the support staff, and family and friends back home have all helped and contributed to a remarkable result.”

Competition for the Pan American Qualification Tournament will continue on April 10^th with Braven Park and Marc-Andre Bergeron attempting to earn quota spots for Paris 2024. A complete schedule of events can be found here and the livestream will be accessible through the Pan American Taekwondo Union YouTube Channel.

Taekwondo Canada would like to thank Sport Canada for providing the funding to allow the team to compete in the Continental Qualifier.

About Taekwondo Canada

Taekwondo Canada is the official governing body of Taekwondo in Canada, overseeing the sport in all Provinces and Territories. Taekwondo Canada is recognized by World Taekwondo, the International Olympic Committee, PATU and Sport Canada. Taekwondo Canada will continue to be a leading nation in the sport by providing leadership and opportunities to enable its participants to achieve their goals.

Contact

Dave Harris
Executive Director
(519) 859-7410
ed@taekwondo-canada.com