Two of Ireland’s most talented Taekwondo players jetted off to Istanbul yesterday to take part in the Olympic Qualifiers for Rio 2016.
Jack Woolley, 17, and Conor Grassick, 22, travelled to the Olympic Qualification Tournament in Istanbul yesterday with their coaches Robert Taaffe and Bobby Enright. The Irish Taekwondo Union fighters are looking to become the first ever Irish Taekwondo players to compete in the Olympics.
To qualify, the fighters must be within the top two ranked competitors of their weight category. Woolley will fight in the -58kg male category, with Grassick fighting -68kg respectively.
Jack Woolley hasn’t even reached his 18th birthday yet, but has managed to attract attention on a world stage. The 3rd degree black belt has won 22 out of his 35 registered international fights since 2013, an impressive rate of 62.9%. (Taekwondodata.com)
Woolley has racked up an impressive 104 ranking points within his career, and is edging closer with each competition to the top 1,000 senior fighters in the world.
What can be considered as Woolley’s biggest success this year was his massive victory at the Russian International Open. Jack managed to go for gold as he beat a member of the Russian national team 19-12 in the final of the tournament to secure a place at the top of the podium. He was also named Player of the Tournament and received a $3000 Cheque which would go towards funding his Olympic dream.
Conor Grassick has enjoyed European and International success from a young age. He has won 14 of 25 registered international fights, a rate of 56%, and has accrued 80 ranking points. (Taekwondodata.com)
One of Grassick’s most notable victories comes from the 2013 A-Class Belgian Open, where he defeated 6 international athletes to claim gold for Ireland. Grassick was also selected to compete for Ireland at the 2013 World Championships in Mexico, and the 2015 World Championships in Chelyabinsk respectively.
The President of the Irish Taekwondo Union, Martin Fleming, will also travel to the tournament to meet with the European Taekwondo Union, and to assist and support at the important event.
The tournament kicks off on Saturday, with both players looking to qualify for Rio 2016 and be the first Irish competitors to contend for an Olympic medal in Taekwondo.
The tournament is classified as a single elimination tournament system. The loser to the 1st placed athlete in the semi-final shall be classified as 3rd place. The loser to the 2nd placed athlete in the semi-final shall be classified as 4th place.