New Zealand has won the ITF Taekwon-Do world championships overnight in Jesolo, Italy after two more gold medals and two bronze on the final day of competition.
The New Zealand team won best overall junior team, best overall senior team and overall winner at the tournament along with over awardsas well finishing with 14 gold medals, eight silver and 13 bronze medals. Romania were second with nine golds and Poland third on eight gold medals.
One of the final day gold medals went to the experienced pair of Mark Trotter and Carl van Roon in senior pre-arranged sparring. Both have featured in New Zealand teams for many years. Trotter, a professional stuntman was competing in his 14th world championships, his first was in 2000 in North Korea. Fellow Aucklander van Roon has also been a medalist at many world champs.
Also winning gold was the junior female team sparring. Two bronze medals were picked up by the junior male team sparring and the junior female team power.
New Zealand coach and a former world champion, Gray Patterson was thrilled with the success. "There were a number of awards we collected unexpectedly as well. The senior females didn't realise they were the best female team until we did a quick check during the awards ceremony which meant a mad dash to find track suits. We won best country senior team and best country junior team and best overall. Amazing results and performances across the whole team."
Frances Lloyd from the Silla club in Tauranga was award best junior female at the world championships and Rose Biddiscombe from the PNTA club in Palmerston North best junior female runner-up.
New Zealand finished second at the 2009 World Champs in Argentina, won the tournament in Wellington in 2011 and was third in Spain in 2013.
