Joel González
Spain's first Olympic taekwondo champion
- Born
- September 30, 1989, Figueres, Catalonia, Spain
- Nationality
Spain- Height
- 185 cm (6′1″)
- Style
- Fast-starting head-kicker
- Weight
- 58 kg, 63 kg, 68 kg
- Active
- 2007–2019
- Status
- Retired · age 37
The medals
Olympic gold + bronze; 2 world titles
The story
oel González started taekwondo in the martial arts centre his father opened in Figueres, with his father as his first coach, and moved to Spain's national training centre at 17. He won world titles at 58 kg in 2009 and 2011 and arrived in London as the favourite, beating Korea's Lee Dae-hoon 17-8 in the final with a series of head kicks to become Spain's first Olympic taekwondo champion. He later moved up in weight, took world silver at 63 kg in 2015 and won bronze at 68 kg in Rio. Injuries slowed his last seasons, and after missing Tokyo he retired in 2021 at 31. Alongside his career he studied criminology and spent time in Spanish football's anti-corruption department.
- Olympic champion, 58 kg (2012)
- Olympic bronze, 68 kg (2016)
- World champion, 58 kg (2009, 2011)
- European champion, 58 kg (2010, 2012)
Defining matches
- 2009WINvs Damián Villa Valadez (World Championships 58 kg final, Copenhagen, 11-8)
- 2011WINvs Rui Bragança (World Championships 58 kg final, Gyeongju, 4-1)
- 2012WINvs Lee Dae-hoon (London Olympic 58 kg final, 17-8)
- 2015LOSSvs Jaouad Achab (World Championships 63 kg final, Chelyabinsk, 6-7)
- 2016LOSSvs Ahmad Abughaush (Rio Olympic 68 kg semi-final, 7-12; won bronze)
Start fast: González scored six points with two head kicks in the first round of the 2012 final and never let Lee Dae-hoon back in. Build your first-round plan around your best scoring kick instead of waiting to read the opponent.
1985–2004
