Medals put Taekwon-do club on top of the world

Club students captured five gold, five silver and six bronze individual medals plus a number of team gongs from the Unified ITF World Championships which took place at the University of Hertfordshire campus on the outskirts of London.

The competition took place over three days with contestants from 21 countries competing from as far as South Africa, USA, Australia and Argentina, competing.

Marie McAneny, 5th degree international instructor, led her 23-strong XS team of both Black Belt and Coloured Belt students of all ages to compete.

The competition commenced with the Black Belt students showing an extremely high standard overall and the atmosphere was highly charged when Stuart Odell became the club’s first world champion, winning the Gold medal for Black Belt Adult male patterns

This was followed by Jamie Phillip winning the gold medal in the veteran Adult Black Belt male sparring.

Then came the team events with the Black Belt Adult male team performing well and achieved silver medal for power and bronze medals for patterns and special techniques.

After that the medals continued to roll in for the club, enjoying its 20th anniversary, in with the following members achieving individual success -

Gold - Stuart Odell, Jamie Philip, Kiara Kelly (14), Keiran Dunsmore (10), Robbie Coyle (10).

Silver - William McArthur, Jack Hanley (12), Andrew McGuinness (11), Thomas Fotheringham, Lauren Dunsmore (7).

Bronze - Robbie McHale (17), Samantha Dailly (17), Kieran Dunsmore (10), Aaron Burns (10), Lauren Dunsmore (7), Dominic Elliott (7).