The event of Taekwondo competitions at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held in Beijing. It was held between August 20th and August 23rd at the Beijing Science and Technology University Gymnasium. The event consisted of various athletes, there were 128 Taekwondo practitioners, consisting of 64 men and 64 women. These athletes competed in 8 events, where for the first time ever, two bronze medals were awarded per event.
Natália Falavigna da Silva is a taekwondo athlete from Brazil. She finished in the fourth place in the women's 67-kilogram category in taekwondo at the 2004 Summer Olympics on 26 August, and won the bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. It was the first Brazilian Olympic medal ever in taekwondo.
Chen Zhong is a retired Chinese taekwondo competitor who represented her country at international level for more than 10 years, including three consecutive Summer Olympic Games. She won China's first Olympic gold medal in taekwondo at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, and successfully defended her title at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, but did not make it past the quarter-final round.
Great Britain competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The United Kingdom was represented by the British Olympic Association (BOA), and the team of selected athletes was officially known as Team GB. Britain is one of only five NOCs to have competed in every modern Summer Olympic Games since 1896. The delegation of 547 people included 311 competitors – 168 men, 143 women – and 236 officials. The team was made up of athletes from the whole United Kingdom including Northern Ireland. Additionally some British overseas territories compete separately from Britain in Olympic competition.
Lauren Chantel Burns is an Australian taekwondo practitioner and Olympic champion. She won Australia's first Olympic gold medal in taekwondo at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, competing in the women's under 49 kg class. Burns holds the rank of 3rd dan black belt in taekwondo. Following her competitive taekwondo career, she has been involved in a range of activities, including motivational speaking and community work.
The women's +67 kg competition in taekwondo at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing took place on 23 August at the Beijing Science and Technology University Gymnasium.
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.
María del Rosario Espinoza Espinoza is a Mexican taekwondo practitioner.
Jade Louise Jones is a Welsh taekwondo athlete. She is the 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medallist in the women's 57 kg category, and the 2019 World champion, 2016, 2018 and 2021 European champion and both 2015 European Games and 2023 European Games champion at the same weight, the only double gold medalist at her weight in the history of those Games. In 2012, she won Britain's first taekwondo Olympic gold medal. Jones was at the time the reigning Youth Olympic champion in the girls' 55 kg category, winning gold for Great Britain in 2010.
Taekwondo competitions at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London was held from 8 August to 11 August at the ExCeL London. Competition was held in eight weight categories; four for men, and four for women.
Carmen Marton is a taekwondo athlete from Australia. She is Australia's first ever world taekwondo champion.
Italy competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This nation has competed at every Summer Olympic Games in the modern era, except for the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis. The Italian National Olympic Committee sent the nation's smallest delegation to the Games since the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. A total of 285 athletes, 162 men and 123 women, competed in 22 sports.
The Russian Federation competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This was the nation's fifth consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics as an independent nation. The Russian Olympic Committee sent a total of 436 athletes to the Games, 208 men and 228 women, to compete in 24 sports. For the first time in its Olympic history, Russia was represented by more female than male athletes.
Croatia competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This was the nation's sixth consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics.
Bianca Cook, also known as Bianca Walkden, is an English taekwondo athlete and Olympian. She is three-times a World champion, twice World Grand Prix champion, four-times a European champion and a double Olympic medallist.
Lutalo Muhammad is a British retired taekwondo athlete who represented Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics, winning a bronze medal, and the 2016 Summer Olympics, winning a silver medal. He won the gold medal in the −87 kg class at the 2012 European Taekwondo Championships. He is the most successful male in British taekwondo history.
Milica Mandić is a Serbian taekwondo athlete. She is a two-time Olympic champion in the +67 kg category, as well as World champion in the same category.
Daniela Castrignano is an Italian taekwondo practitioner, who competed in the women's heavyweight category. She obtained a total of nine medals in her sporting career, including one Gold and two silvers at the European Championships and a bronze in the over-72 kg division at the 2007 World Taekwondo Championships in Beijing. Castrignano was also selected to compete for the Italian taekwondo squad at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, where she placed fifth in the women's heavyweight category (+67 kg). Throughout her sporting career, Castrignano trained for Team Perulli in her native Lecce under head coach and master Giuseppe Perulli.
Nataša Vezmar is a Croatian taekwondo practitioner, who competed in the women's heavyweight category. One of Croatia's most prominent sporting figures in her decade, Vezmar held three European titles in the over-72 kg division, claimed two medals at the World Taekwondo Championships, and represented her nation Croatia in two editions of the Olympic Games. Vezmar also trained full-time for TK Metalac in Zagreb, under head coach and master Ivica Klaić.
Juana Wangsa Putri is an Indonesian taekwondo practitioner, who competed in the women's flyweight category. She claimed a silver medal in the 51 kg category at the 2002 Asian Taekwondo Championships in Amman, Jordan, earned bronze medals at two consecutive Asian Games, and represented Indonesia in two editions of the Olympic Games.
