TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's men's taekwondo team narrowly missed capturing gold at the World University Games in Germany, settling for silver after falling to South Korea on Thursday (July 24). The determined trio of Hung Jiun-yi (洪俊義), Chung Chun-chieh (鍾俊傑), and Huang Cho-cheng (黃卓乘) faced a formidable South Korean squad but ultimately succumbed 0-2 in the championship match. The hard-fought defeat marked another significant achievement for Taiwan's martial arts program on the international stage.
Taiwan's men's team reached the championship match by systematically defeating Malaysia and Thailand before overcoming Uzbekistan with commanding scores of 28-11 and 10-8. South Korea's relentless offensive strategy proved decisive in the gold medal bout, overwhelming Taiwan with scores of 18-26 and 17-30. The silver medal represents Taiwan's second such achievement at the World University Games, matching their impressive 2017 performance when the island nation hosted the competition in Taipei.
Taiwan's taekwondo delegation delivered exceptional performances across multiple disciplines throughout the international competition. The women's poomsae team captured Taiwan's first gold medal of the games, while their male counterparts secured bronze in the same technical forms category. Individual sparring competitions yielded remarkable results, with Huang Ying-hsuan (黃映瑄), Hung Jiun-yi, and Chin I-chun (金怡君) each claiming silver medals, while Chiu Yi-jui (邱義睿) earned bronze.
The women's team, featuring Chin I-chun, Chang Jui-en (張芮恩), and Lin Wei-chun (林唯均), opened their campaign with a convincing victory over Mexico. Thailand proved insurmountable in the quarterfinals, however, defeating Taiwan with narrow scores of 12-15 and 9-12 to end their semifinal aspirations. Taiwan's taekwondo athletes demonstrated remarkable resilience and technical skill throughout the competition, establishing a strong foundation for future international tournaments. ◼
