2015 world Taekwondo Championship

[_Navid_]

2015 world Taekwondo championship has started in Russia today. It is also the most important qualification tournament for next year's Olympics with winner of each category adding 120 points to their world ranking.

Iran has sent a very young but strong team and is a big favorite to win the whole thing for the 2nd time after 2011.

[_Navid_]

Today's results:

58kg: Farzan Ashourzadeh, Iran's top talent won his first 3 games with ease and guaranteed his Bronze medal. Semis and final will be played tomorrow morning.

[Soosk]

How good is Iran's team this year? Have not followed Taekwondo much so i was wondering does Iran have a chance to will team title. I assume they usually have a chance for team title in the mens team. How is our women's team this year? Also is there a live stream and what time does it usually start?

[Irannn]

How good is Iran's team this year? Have not followed Taekwondo much so i was wondering does Iran have a chance to will team title. I assume they usually have a chance for team title in the mens team. How is our women's team this year? Also is there a live stream and what time does it usually start?

we have a very good team this year. all of them are capable of winning medal, even gold. mostly younger athletes like Ashourzadeh, Kazemi, Yaghoubi and Khodabakhshi. unfortunately our world champion Asbaghi in injured and can't defend his title, which makes 68kg our weakest link.

as for the women's team, this is probably the best ever female team Iran ever had. watch out for Kimia Alizadeh, she is just 16 (or 17) and already won so many medals. unfortunately she will face world #1 in quarterfinal. but I think she can beat everybody this year. beside her I think here are two more medal chances in Akram Khodabandeh and Shokraneh Izadi.

[_Navid_]

How good is Iran's team this year? Have not followed Taekwondo much so i was wondering does Iran have a chance to will team title. I assume they usually have a chance for team title in the mens team. How is our women's team this year? Also is there a live stream and what time does it usually start?

As I said in the first post and our friend Irannn mentioned, we have a very good team and are a top favorite to win the men's team title. Ashurzadeh (3rd guy in my signature and possibly Iran's best talent right now) and Khodabakhshi should win gold if there is no bad refereeing. Others also have a shot in winning medals.

Our women's team also has an exceptional talent (Kimia Alizadeh, also in my signature) who is only 17 and won the youth Olympic gold last year. It is her first senior competition so not much exceptions but she will win the gold in the years to come.

The games are every day from around 9am-9pm Russian time.

You can watch every game and live stream here:

https://www.youtube.com/user/worldtaekwondo/videos

[Doroudi]

we have a very good team this year. all of them are capable of winning medal, even gold. mostly younger athletes like Ashourzadeh, Kazemi, Yaghoubi and Khodabakhshi. unfortunately our world champion Asbaghi in injured and can't defend his title, which makes 68kg our weakest link.

as for the women's team, this is probably the best ever female team Iran ever had. watch out for Kimia Alizadeh, she is just 16 (or 17) and already won so many medals. unfortunately she will face world #1 in quarterfinal. but I think she can beat everybody this year. beside her I think here are two more medal chances in Akram Khodabandeh and Shokraneh Izadi.

Actually I don't think 68 kg is our weakest link. We have a fantastic replacement for Asbaghi, Alireza Azadany. He won gold in 2011 world champs and cut 6 kilos for this tournament to make it to the 68 kg.
Here is a crazy video of his training:

[_Navid_]

Yes, 68kg is our most competitive category. We have 3 world champs (Asbaghi, Nasr azadani, Bagheri motamed), but Asbaghi was in a better form that the other two before his injury.

[Ab-Gosht]

Today's results:

58kg: Farzan Ashourzadeh, Iran's top talent won his first 3 games with ease and guaranteed his Bronze medal. Semis and final will be played tomorrow morning.

ashourzadeh won his 1st 4 easy

What does it take to be qualified for Rio?

[Ab-Gosht]

haji won his 1st 3 and now faces a mexican in quarter

[_Navid_]

haji won his 1st 3 and now faces a mexican in quarter

Wow, what a start for the boys. Haji won against defending world champ from Mexico. His bronze is guaranteed.

[_Navid_]

ashourzadeh won his 1st 4 easy

What does it take to be qualified for Rio?

First 6 athlete in each weight category in the ranking of December 2015 will qualify directly to the Olympics. There are also additional Continental qualifications in 2016 for those who couldn't qualify in style.

Gold in world championship= 120 pts
Gold in asian games=40 pts
Gold in each grnad prix = 40 pts

[_Navid_]

My man Farzan got the first gold!! We have a good shot at team championship this year.

[Irannn]

Congrats to Farzan, he deserved this gold medal for sure,
in semifinal he was down by 5pts with less than 25 seconds to go ! what a come back

[Ab-Gosht]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05RAYnKMfGU

Please watch his semi and final here, very good commentary

[Ab-Gosht]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix8q8L5B-hM

gold medal interview