Taekwondo delivered six days of intensity and inspiration at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games. Hosted at Messe Essen, the competition blended sharp technique with raw determination, as athletes from across the globe battled for medals and a place in the future of the sport.

Korea and China dominated as expected, but emerging nations like Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, and Ukraine made their mark and reshaped the balance of power on the global stage.

Chinese Taipei and Korea lead in poomsae

The Games opened with poomsae, where precision and unity took center stage. In the women’s team final, Chinese Taipei delivered a flawless routine to win gold, edging past a sharp Korean squad. The United States and Germany claimed bronze to the delight of the home crowd.

Korea returned to the top in the men’s team event by outscoring China. Chinese Taipei and Canada both earned bronze with clean and energetic performances that impressed judges and fans alike.

Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU Games – PIC: World Taekwondo

New powers emerge in kyorugi

As kyorugi matches began, the atmosphere shifted from calm to electric. On Day 3, Korea’s Yunseo Kim stormed to gold in the women’s -46kg category. Brazil’s Maria Clara Lima Pacheco underlined her growing reputation with a dominant performance in the -57kg division.

Canada celebrated a major victory when Nithan Brindamohan edged out the USA’s Ethan Gun in a gripping -54kg final. Thailand’s Bunlung Tubtimdang closed the day with a hard-fought win in the men’s -68kg class.

Later in the week, Ukraine’s Maksym Manenkov and Kazakhstan’s Samirkhon Ababakirov both claimed gold in tightly contested matches. Turkey joined the list of winners as Şevval Çakal and Sude Yaren Uzuncavdar captured titles in the -62kg and -73kg divisions.

In the men’s -87kg final, Ukraine’s Artem Harbar delivered a clear 2-0 win over Poland’s Szymon Piatkowski, signaling Eastern Europe’s growing influence in university-level Taekwondo.

Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU Games – PIC: World Taekwondo

Uzbekistan makes mixed team history

The final day brought something never seen before: the debut of the Mixed Team Kyorugi as an official medal event. Uzbekistan etched its name into the history books by defeating Egypt in a tense final to take the first-ever gold in this format.

In the women’s team event, China triumphed over Korea. In the men’s final, Korea reversed fortunes by overcoming Chinese Taipei. Kazakhstan, Thailand, France, Germany, and Uzbekistan also reached the podium, proving that team-based Taekwondo is becoming more globally competitive.

Para Taekwondo to debut at Chungcheong 2027

Looking ahead, Taekwondo will reach another milestone. The 2027 FISU World University Games in Chungcheong, Korea will feature Para Taekwondo for the first time. Four poomsae divisions and ten kyorugi divisions will be contested.

This addition increases the total number of Taekwondo medal events from 24 to 38, making it the third-largest sport in the FISU programme.

The Rhine-Ruhr Games confirmed what many in the sport had anticipated. The field is growing deeper, and the future is more diverse than ever. While Korea and China remain dominant, nations like Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, and Ukraine are not just catching up, they are winning.