Britain’s newest taekwondo sensation Caden Cunningham on what it takes to win: “I’ve just been blessed with that sort of mindset”

Great Britain has a history of developing world-class taekwondo athletes. And they like to produce them young.

Jade Jones was just 19 when she overcame the pressure of a home Olympic Games to win gold at London 2012.

Likewise, rising star Aaliyah Powell showed her immense potential by becoming Britain’s youngest-ever world medal winner when she claimed bronze at the 2019 World Championships aged just 17.

At 20 years old, Caden Cunningham joins that group of elite-level Brits who have flourished at a young age having won gold in +87kg category at the 2023 European Games.

But what’s the secret behind being able to rise so high at such a tender age?

“It’s my commitment to the sport, how hard I train, how much time I put into the work mentally in terms of learning how to read the game well, tactics…

“But also I’ve just got a natural passion for it. I love fighting, so [the fact] that I love it really boosts me when I’m fighting. The better someone [an opponent] is at taekwondo the better I perform.

“I’ve just been blessed with that sort of mindset.”

Caden Cunningham on learning from the greats

Of course, with so much talent to look up to, Cunningham has seen the pathway available to him as a British taekwondo athlete.

Jones repeated her success in London by winning a second Olympic gold at Rio 2016, Bradly Sinden claimed silver at Tokyo 2020, while Sarah Stevenson (Beijing 2008), Lutalo Muhammad (London 2012) and Bianca Cook (Rio 2016) have all won bronze on the sport’s biggest stage.

And it is the latter of these that Cunningham cites as his biggest influence, with four-time World Championships gold medallist Cook (formerly Walkden) inspiring him both inside and outside of the gym.

“When I joined the [British] team I was quite young and still sort of star-struck by the likes of Jade, Bianca and Brad," he said.

“But I just admire Bianca’s mindset a lot - a lot of athletes' [mindsets] in the team but especially hers and Brad’s.

“It’s something I’ve looked up at and I’ve thought, I’ve got the technique, I’m a gifted athlete. I work, but the thing that bridges the gap between a good athlete and a world-class elite is the mindset.

“And that’s what I admire most about them. Not the ability to kick butts but the mindset."

Cunningham outlines his goals for Paris 2024

While his European Games victory showcased his immense talent to the watching world, it is next year’s Olympic Games in Paris that will provide the sternest test for the Yorkshire-bred athlete who has moved all the way up from the -49kg category as junior to the current heavyweight division where a single kick or punch can bruise with devastating effect.

“In taekwondo, the Olympics is the pinnacle,” he said. “It’s the top, so to get there and win is what it’s for. It means a lot.”

But how will he deal with the pressure of fighting under the bright lights of the Olympic stage? And how do you keep your feet on the ground without losing your focus as you get closer to your dreams?

Cunningham’s answer to the question is simple and shows a maturity that belies his young years.

“For me, I just go into every fight, my first, second, third, as if it’s my only fight of the day,” he says.

Caden Cunningham: "I want to be a name that's forever known"

If he qualifies for Paris 2024, Cunningham will have achieved on long-held dream at only 21 years of age.

However, even now he has one eye on his long-term goals as he seeks to follow in the footsteps of his inspiration, Bianca Cook.

“There are a lot of amazing athletes who have done taekwondo but the ones that have announced themselves are like Bradly Sinden with his four world medals or Bianca with her three world golds, Jade with her double Olympic golds.

“I want to be a name that’s forever known. Everyone who mentions the heavyweight category is like, 'ah, he’s the one, he’s that guy, he was the best in that category'.

“I love the sport so I want to master it. I want it to be that if anyone gets me in a draw they’re scared to fight me.”

Fighting talk from one of the hottest prospects in the world of taekwondo today. 

You can follow Cunningham in his next competition, the World Taekwondo Grand Prix in Taiyuan, People’s Republic of China, which takes place on 1 October.