Posted in the JEP on 17th November 2009 showing Lord Coe with World Taekwondo Federation players and budding Olympians during his visit to the English Institute for Sport in Sheffield.

Aaron Cook recorded the greatest victory of his career on November 14th in Mexico City as he knocked-out current World Champion Steven Lopez in the second round of the final to win the 80kg Gold at the inaugural World Taekwondo Tour, whereby he also picked up a $30,000 top prize which is the largest single award ever won by a British Taekwondo athlete. Aaron, who narrowly missed out on a podium finish at the Beijing Olympics as a 17 year-old, knocked out his experienced opponent in the second round with a stunning head kick. Thirty-one year-old Lopez (USA), who is the greatest Taekwondo athlete ever having won five World Championships and two Olympic Games, was facing Dorset athlete Cook for the first time in his career.

With the recent news that Taekwondo will remain an Olympic sport for 2016, GB’s young Taekwondo hopefuls are looking towards Rio as a potential launch pad for their Olympic careers and will look to emulate established Olympians who, in turn, are due to compete at the World Championships in Copenhagen this week [14th - 18th October].