Team
2021 Summer World University Games Postponed Until 2022
5 years
The NCTA would like to inform its athletes, coaches and officials that FISU has officially announced that the 2021 Summer World University Games in Chengdu, China have been postponed until 2022, citing the global COVID-19 situation and international travel restrictions, as well as the closure of university campuses and sports facilities. The FISU press release is linked below:
There are currently no new dates announced; once they are announced, NCTA will inform the membership on timelines and processes to qualify for the team.
2021 World University Games Update
5 years
The NCTA recently received a letter from the USA International University Sports Federation (USIUSF) that the cancellation of the 2021 Summer World University Games in Chengdu, China is a “strong possibility”, with 75% of FISU member countries supporting this decision.
If the Games are conducted as scheduled, proposed protocols would include a 50% reduction in athletes, which would likely affect the number of divisions that could be sent to the Games. Additional protocols would include a minimum 7-day quarantine for all competing athletes.
The USIUSF is suspending all selection processes until April 1, 2021, and therefore the NCTA will also suspend its selection process until that time. If a selection does happen, it will remain in the late April/Early may time frame, so athletes will need to be ready to perform/apply at that time.
We know that this uncertainty is challenging for our collegiate athletes. Our recommendation is to continue training and to be ready, but also to expect the possibility that the Games may not happen.
The NCTA is preparing for a possible in-person national event featuring both sparring and poomsae this fall, so we hope that USA collegiate athletes can look forward to this event.
NCTA Announces the 2021 Summer World University Games Team Selection Process
5 years
The 2021 Summer World University Games are to be held on August 17-27, 2021 in Chengdu, China. The organizing committee of the Games and FISU state that the completion of the Athletes’ Village and competition venues is on schedule. While there are many uncertainties in the future progress of the global pandemic, as well as potential travel restrictions, the NCTA will proceed with naming a 2021 National Collegiate Taekwondo Team that will travel to the Games should the event be held.
The NCTA will choose a poomsae team via remote team trial in late April or early May. Recognized poomsae will be contested via live zoom, and freestyle poomsae will be contested via video submission. Dates and details for these events will be announced shortly.
The NCTA has deemed a national, in-person team trials unfeasible before the team roster submission deadline. A sparring team will therefore be named based on an application process utilizing several criteria: World Taekwondo ranking, past major event performance (including the NCTA Championships), ability to make within 5% of weight class being applied to (at time of application), and a remote workout/video proof of current active training condition at the time of application. Dates and details of this application process will be announced this month.
All applicants must also state their willingness to travel to China for the Games and to comply with all state and national travel restrictions.
USA Team Taekwondo Ready for 2019 World University Games
7 years
Naples, Italy – (July 6, 2019) The USA Taekwondo Team, consisting of 18 athletes and 10 staff have arrived at the 30th Summer World Universiade to battle it out with the world’s best collegiate athletes.
Representing USA Team in poomsae are Adalis “AJ” Munoz (University of Texas, Arlington), Christy Quintanilla (Johns Hopkins University), and Titania Thao (Gustavus Adolphus College). Munoz will represent in individual poomsae, and the three female athletes will represent in female team poomsae. The male poomsae athletes selected are Kody Han (Foothill College), Edward Jeong (University of Bridgeport), and Sean Wallace (Santa Clara University). Similarly, Jeong will represent in individual poomsae, and the three male athletes will represent in team poomsae.
12 athletes will represent in female sparring. The female sparring athletes are Lizette Salas (-49kg, California State University, Northridge), Logan Weber (-53kg, Johnson County Community College), Starla Santana (-57kg, Miami Dade Community College), Amanda Bluford (-62kg, De Vry University), Cheyenne Lewis (-67kg, University of California, Berkeley), and Makayla Gorka (-73kg, University of Central Oklahoma).
Representing in the male sparring divisions are Alejandro Bravo (-58kg, Miami Dade Community College), George El-Chemali (-63kg, University of Southern California), Charles Buset (-68kg, American Military University), Matthew Klein (-74kg, University of Dayton), Connor Wilson (-80kg, University of California, Los Angeles) and Abdul Rahman (-87kg, College of Southern Maryland).
Competition begins tomorrow with the male and female individual poomsae divisions, when Jeong and Munoz will take the mat to open the competition for USA Team. These are the third Games for Jeong and second Games for Munoz. Both are defending medalists from the 2017 World University Games with Jeong having earned a silver medal and Munoz a bronze medal at those games in individual poomsae.
Supporting the athletes are NCTA President and Head of Team, Dan Chuang (Cambridge, MA), Director, Sung C. Kim (Rochester, NY), Manager, Justin Faiferlick (Fort Dodge, Iowa), Doctor, Sherri Lashomb (Buffalo, NY), Head Poomsae Coach, Huy Nguyen (San Jose, CA), Poomsae Coach, Haksung Kim (Irvine, CA), Head Sparring Coach, Richard Lee (Los Angeles, CA), Sparring Coach, Dongyoung Kim (Newark, CA), Sparring Coach, Toby Oliver (Fort Myers, FL) and Sparring Coach, Adrian Zambrano (Sylmar, CA).
Said President Chuang, “I’m very pleased with the selflessness and team chemistry displayed by all of the athletes at the start of this trip. The athletes have been training hard and seem relaxed, focused and ready going into the start of the competition. I’m also very grateful for the hard works and efforts of all of the staff and organizing committee to realize this trip!”
Coaching Interest Form for Summer World University Games Open
7 years
All coaches interested in attending and participating in the 2019 Summer World University Games for the USA Team for taekwondo should complete the survey accessed by clicking here by Monday, April 29, 2019.
