On 21–22 November, Warsaw hosted the twelfth edition of the international Olympic taekwondo tournament Warsaw Cup, organized with the participation of AZS AWF Warszawa and the Polish Olympic Taekwondo Association. More than 400 athletes from Poland and neighboring countries took part in the competition.
UKS Ilyo was represented by five taekwondo athletes. On Saturday, tournament spectators had the opportunity to watch a thrilling bout between Adam Filipek (up to 65 kg) and Michał Ratkowski of KS Karor Bydgoszcz, a current member of Poland’s cadet national team. In the second round, Adam gained an advantage over his opponent and held on to it until the end, winning the bout 7:3 and taking the gold medal.
Kamil Serafin also did not disappoint, taking first place in the cadet category up to 57 kg by defeating Belarusians in both the semifinal and the final (the Belarusian team finished first in the overall Warsaw Cup standings).
Sunday was not as successful for the athletes from Bolesławiec. Paulina Stojanowska lost her very first bout to a representative of Ukraine, 1:12. Meanwhile, Remigiusz Różnicki, after winning his first bout in the cadet category up to 45 kg, had to concede the next one in the third round because of a midfoot injury.
Krzysztof Jasiński, the only taekwondo athlete from Bolesławiec competing in the junior category, lost in the final to a representative of Andros Puławy after a controversial decision by the judges (just before the end of the final round, the Bolesławiec athlete blocked his opponent’s kick, yet the officials awarded the Andros athlete three points, allowing him to win the bout by one point). Krzysztof had to settle for the silver medal.
(information from UKS Ilyo/ii)