Zhao Shuai
China's first male Olympic taekwondo champion
- Born
- August 15, 1995, Chaoyang, Liaoning, China
- Nationality
China- Height
- 188 cm (6′2″)
- Style
- Long-limbed kicker
- Weight
- 58 kg, 63 kg, 68 kg
- Active
- 2011–2021
The medals
Olympic gold + bronze; 2 world titles
The story
hao Shuai was born in Chaoyang in Liaoning, started taekwondo at nine and left home at 11 to follow his first coach to Changzhou. Standing 188 cm, he normally weighed 66 to 68 kg, but he cut to 58 kg for Rio 2016, where, two days after turning 21, he beat Thailand's Tawin Hanprab 6-4 to become China's first male Olympic taekwondo champion. Moving back up in weight, he won world titles at 63 kg in 2017 and 2019, beating Iran's Soroush Ahmadi 27-7 in the second final. At Tokyo 2020, now at 68 kg, he took bronze by beating Lee Dae-hoon 17-15 in what turned out to be Lee's last fight. He married fellow Rio champion Zheng Shuyin in 2023.
- Olympic champion, 58 kg (2016)
- Olympic bronze, 68 kg (2020)
- World champion, 63 kg (2017, 2019)
- China's flag bearer at the Tokyo 2020 opening ceremony
Defining matches
- 2016WINvs Tawin Hanprab (Rio Olympic 58 kg final, 6-4)
- 2017WINvs Mirhashem Hosseini (World Championships 63 kg final, Muju, 11-5)
- 2019WINvs Soroush Ahmadi (World Championships 63 kg final, Manchester, 27-7)
- 2021WINvs Lee Dae-hoon (Tokyo Olympic 68 kg bronze bout, 17-15)
Use your reach: at 188 cm Zhao scored before smaller opponents could close the distance. Tall students should kick from the edge of range and reset after every score so the opponent always has to cross the gap to reach them.
2014–now
