Hwang Kyung-seon
Three Olympic medals, one won on a torn knee
- Born
- May 21, 1986, Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea
- Nationality
South Korea- Height
- 175 cm (5′9″)
- Style
- Fast, flexible head-kicker
- Weight
- 67 kg
- Active
- 2002–2016
- Status
- Retired · age 40
The medals
2 Olympic golds + bronze; 2 world titles
The story
wang Kyung-seon, known in Korea as the Empress of Taekwondo, made the national team for Athens 2004 while still a high school student and came home with bronze. She won the world 67 kg title in 2005 and 2007, beating France's Gwladys Épangue in both finals. At Beijing 2008 she tore cartilage and two ligaments in her left knee in the quarter-final, fought on with painkillers and a brace, and beat Canada's Karine Sergerie 2-1 in the final with a kick 35 seconds from the end. In London she beat Turkey's Nur Tatar 12-5, becoming the first woman with taekwondo medals at three Olympic Games and Korea's first back-to-back Olympic taekwondo champion. She retired in 2018 to coach and study in Beijing.
Tap a technique with an arrow to learn how it works.
- Olympic champion, 67 kg (2008, 2012)
- Olympic bronze, 67 kg (2004)
- World champion, 67 kg (2005, 2007)
- Asian Games champion (2006)
Defining matches
- 2005WINvs Gwladys Épangue (World Championships 67 kg final, Madrid, 7-2)
- 2007WINvs Gwladys Épangue (World Championships 67 kg final, Beijing, 2-0)
- 2008WINvs Karine Sergerie (Beijing Olympic 67 kg final, 2-1, fought on a torn knee)
- 2011LOSSvs Sarah Stevenson (World Championships 67 kg semi-final, Gyeongju, 5-8; bronze)
- 2012WINvs Nur Tatar (London Olympic 67 kg final, 12-5)
Throw the head kick again off the same leg: the first one makes the opponent cover, and the second or third often lands as they relax. Keep the knee high and re-chamber fast between kicks so each one comes back quickly.
