Asian athletes win 4 gold medals at the Taekwondo European Open Championships. GETTY IMAGES

The 2024 Para-Taekwondo European Championships were held in Belgrade, Serbia, from 9 to 12 May in parallel with the 2024 European Taekwondo Championships.

As the championships were open, several athletes from Asia, Africa and the Americas, who are preparing for the Paris 2024 Paralympics, competed in the tournament and four of them won gold medals. 

Four-time world champion Bolor-Erdene Ganbat of Mongolia (men's -63 kg) defeated Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Mahmut Bozteke of Turkey. Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Jeonghun Joo of Korea won the men's -80 kg category. 

Reigning world champion Asaf Yasur (Israel) won gold medal in the men's 58 kg category. GETTY IMAGES
Reigning world champion Asaf Yasur (Israel) won gold medal in the men's 58 kg category. GETTY IMAGES

Another bronze medallist from the last Paralympics, Khwansuda Phuangkitcha of Thailand, was the best in the women's 47 kg category. Surenjav Ulambayar (Mongolia) won the women's -52 kg final against Tokyo 2020 runner-up Meryem Betül Çavdar.

Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Evan Medell of the USA won a silver medal in the men's +80 kg category. He lost to Aliaskhab Ramazanov in the final.

Amy Tuesdale from Great Britain won gold medal in the +65 kg category. GETTY IMAGES
Amy Tuesdale from Great Britain won gold medal in the +65 kg category. GETTY IMAGES

Reigning world champions Asaf Yasur (Israel) and Imamadin Khalilov (Azerbaijan) became European champions in the men's +58 kg and +70 kg categories respectively. 

The 2022 European champion, Gamze Gurdal of Turkey, won her second continental title in the women's -57 kg category. Great Britain's biggest star Amy Truesdale, bronze medallist at Tokyo 2020, was the best in the women's +65 kg.

The biggest surprise came from Greece's Christina Gkentzou, who won gold in the women's +65 kg category ahead of her experienced rivals.

Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Mahmut Bozteke (Turkiye) lost his final bout to Bolor-Erdene Ganbat (Mongolia). GETTY IMAGES
Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Mahmut Bozteke (Turkiye) lost his final bout to Bolor-Erdene Ganbat (Mongolia). GETTY IMAGES

All the medallists at the 2024 Para Taekwondo European Championships

Men’s 58 kg
1. Asaf Yasur (Israel)
2. Ali Can Ozcan (Turkiye)
3. Joel Martin (Spain)
3. Askhat Akmatov (Individual Neutral Athlete)

Men’s 63 kg
1. Bolor-Erdene Ganbat (Mongolia)
2. Mahmut Bozteke (Turkiye)
3. Daniil Sidorov (Individual Neutral Athlete)
3. Adnan Milad (Israel)

Men’s 70 kg
1. Imamaddin Khalilov (Azerbaijan)
2. Fatih Celik (Turkiye)
3. Giorgi Nikoladze (Georgia)
3. Maciej Kesicki (Poland)

Men’s 80 kg
1. Jeonghun Joo (Korea)
2. Abulfaz Abuzarli (Azerbaijan)
3. Nikola Spajic (Serbia)
3. Joseph Lane (Great Britain)

Men’s +80 kg
1. Aliaskhab Ramazanov (Individual Neutral Athlete)
2. Evan Medell (USA)
3. Zoltan Kiss (Hungary)
3. Matt Bush (Great Britain)

Women’s 47 kg
1. Khwansuda Phuangkitcha (Thailand)
2. Dzhetsun-Sholbana Kara-Ool (Individual Neutral Athlete)
3. Lia Chachibaia (Georgia)
3. Nurcihan Ekinci (Turkiye)

Women’s 52 kg
1. Surenjav Ulambayar (Mongolia)
2. Meryem Betul Cavdar (Turkiye)
3. Lutfiye Ozdag (Turkiye)
3. Anna Poddubskaia (Individual Neutral Athlete)

Surenjav Ulambayar from Mongolia (blue) defeated Meryem Betul Cavdar from Turkiye (red) in the final of the women's 52 kg category. GETTY IMAGES
Surenjav Ulambayar from Mongolia (blue) defeated Meryem Betul Cavdar from Turkiye (red) in the final of the women's 52 kg category. GETTY IMAGES

Women’s 57 kg
1. Gamze Gurdal (Turkiye)
2. Caverzan Sophie (France)
3. Nata Ochigava (Georgia)
3. Sumeyye Ozcan (Turkiye)

Women’s 65 kg
1. Christina Gkentzou (Greece)
2. Djelika Diallo (France)
3. Elena Savinskaya (Individual Neutral Athlete)
3. Patrycja Zewar (Poland)

Women’s +65 kg
1. Amy Truesdale (Great Britain)
2. Eleni Papastamatopoulou (Greece)
3. Rajae Akermach (Morocco)
3. Dalia Santiago Moreno (Spain)