Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving punching and kicking techniques. The word Taekwondo can be translated as tae, kwon, and do. In addition to its five tenets of courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit, the sport requires three physical skills: poomsae (품새), kyorugi (겨루기) and gyeokpa (격파).
Libya competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. The country's participation in Sydney marked its sixth appearance at a Summer Olympics since its debut at the 1964 Games. The delegation included three male athletes; marathon runner Adel Edeli, judoka Tarek Ayad and Nizar Mohamed Naeeli in taekwondo. Edeli did not finish his race, while Ayad and Naeeli were both eliminated in the first bouts of their respective tournaments.
Aaron Arthur Cook is a taekwondo athlete who has represented Great Britain, the Isle of Man, and Moldova. He has been ranked the number one in the men's −80 kg division on several occasions. He is three-times a European champion having won the −80 kg title at the European Taekwondo Championships in 2010, 2012 representing Great Britain and 2014 representing the Isle of Man, and was the world junior champion in the −78 kg division in 2008.
Chika Yagazie Chukwumerije is a male taekwondo practitioner from Nigeria. The son of Nigerian politician Uche Chukwumerije, Chika first drew attention in 2003 during the qualifiers for the 2003 All-Africa Games, where he eventually won a bronze medal in the Heavyweight Male category. He qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, but lost his first bout to Pascal Gentil, the eventual bronze medal winner. Nevertheless, after a period of intensive training that was funded by his father, he became one of Nigeria's best chances for a medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He won a gold medal at the 2007 All-Africa Games in the +80 kg class and qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games soon after. Although he lost to eventual silver-medal winner Alexandros Nikolaidis in the semifinals of the +80kg event, he was entered into the repechage round of the tournament. Here, after defeating Akmal Irgashev of Uzbekistan he claimed a bronze medal in the event, Nigeria's third medal of the tournament. Four years later he competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics, but did not make it past his first bout.
Ismaël Coulibaly is a Malian taekwondo practitioner who mainly fights in the lightweight division. Coulibaly represented Mali at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where he competed in the men's 80kg competition. He was Mali's flag bearer for the closing ceremony of the 2016 Olympics. He has also competed in three World Taekwondo Championships, a World Taekwondo Grand Prix and two African Games. He has won multiple World Championship medals and multiple medals in African regional competitions.
Taekwondo at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro took place from 17 to 20 August at the Carioca Arena 3 inside the Barra Olympic Park in Barra da Tijuca. Around 128 taekwondo fighters competed in eight weight categories; four for men, and four for women.
Seif Eissa is an Egyptian Taekwondo practitioner & a Bronze medalist at the 2020 Summer Olympics. He won a bronze medal at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China. He also earned a gold medal at the 2015 African Games in Gaborone.
Samuel Thomas Harper Morrison, also known as Butch Morrison, is a Filipino taekwondo practitioner.
Morocco competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's fourteenth appearance at the Summer Olympics.
This article details the qualifying phase for taekwondo at the 2016 Summer Olympics. The competition at these Games comprised a total of 128 taekwondo fighters coming from their respective NOCs. Each NOC was allowed to enter up to a maximum of eight competitors, four of each gender, based on the WTF Olympic rankings, such that an athlete per NOC must be among the top six in each weight category.
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially as the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's fourteenth appearance at the Summer Olympics.
Taekwondo at the 2015 African Games in Brazzaville was held between September 16–18, 2015.
Cape Verde competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. The nation's participation in Rio de Janeiro marked its sixth appearance at the Summer Olympics since its debut in 1996.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's tenth appearance at the Summer Olympics since its debut in 1968, although it had previously competed in four editions under the name Zaire.
Niger competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. Since the nation made its debut in 1964, Nigerien athletes had participated in every edition of the Summer Olympic Games, except for two rare occasions, the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, and the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow because of the African and the US-led boycotts, respectively.
Mali competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. Since the nation made its debut in 1964, Malian athletes had appeared in every edition of the Summer Olympic Games, with the exception of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal because of the African boycott.
Abdoul Razak Issoufou Alfaga, also known as Razak Alfaga, is a Nigerien taekwondo athlete.
Richard Kule Mbombo is a Congolese footballer currently playing as a forward for Liga Leumit club Hapoel Afula.
Seydou Gbané is an Ivorian taekwondo practitioner.
Mbombo is the creator god in the religion and mythology of the Kuba people.
