The European Taekwondo U-21 championships 2023 took place in Bucharest, Romania from December 7 to 10.
The athletes competed in 16 weight categories (8 men and 8 women) with 14 of the 16 gold medals going to Spain, Türkiye and Croatia.
Sofia Garcia Marquina from Spain won the competition in the women’s 46 kg weight category, her compatriot, Lena Moreno Reyes, was the best in the women’s 67 kg weight category.
Spain took three more gold medals in the men’s light and middleweight categories. Ivan Escolar Parra (54 kg), Jesus Fraile (58 kg) and Iker Abad Exposito (63 kg) defeated all their rivals and became a European champion.
Türkiye won three gold medals in the women’s competition. Elif Ilgin Oztabak (49 kg), Aleyna Senyurt (57 kg) and Sude Yaren Uzuncavdar (73 kg) were crowned a European champion, and their teammates, Berkay Erer (68 kg) and Yigithan Kilic (74), won the competition in men’s tournament.
In the women’s 63 kg category Turkish athletes won three medals, but the gold one went to Mia Tukic from Croatia. Her compatriot, Magdalena Matic, won the competition in the women’s +73 kg weight category. Matej Nikolic (80 kg) and Josip Bilic (87 kg) won gold medals in the men’s tournament.
The other two gold medals of the championship went to Hungary and Greece. It was a battle of twin sisters in the final bout of the women’s 62 kg weight category.
Seventeen years-old Viviana Marton defeated her sister, Luana, in the final and took the gold medal.
Sotirios Michopoulos took the gold medal in the men’s +87 kg category.
—Insidethegames.biz
