A Taekwondo march From WTF for The Seoul Times

MADRID, Spain (April 15, 2005) – Korea clinched two gold medals and one silver medal on the third day of the 2005 WTF World Taekwondo Championships here today.

Host Spain and the United States won one gold medal each at the championships, which runs through Sunday. About 1,700 athletes and officials from a record 125 countries are participating in the 17th WTF World Taekwondo Championships.

Several members of the International Olympic Committee, including Spanish Juan Antonio Samaranch, watched the taekwondo competition. Also at hand at the competition venue was Kelly Fairweather, IOC sports director.

In the men´s under 54kg class final, Korea´s Kim Jin-hee defeated Iranian Feirollah Nafjam 4-1 to grab the gold medal. The bronze medal went to Russian Magomedov Seyfula and Gerardo Rodriguez of Mexico.

Steven Lopez of the United States brushed aside a stiff challenge from Iranian Ali Tajik 3-2 in the men´s under 78kg category final match. Spain´s Rosendo Alfonso and Australian Daniel Jukic each won the bronze medal in the same division.

In the women´s under 67kg class final, Hwang Kyung-seon of Korea outpointed France´s Gwladys Epangue 7-2 to earn her country the fourth gold medal at the ongoing championships.

Spain´s Ibone Lallana and Croatia´s Sandra Saric each won the bronze medal in the category.