World Taekwondo Asian Qualification Tournament: Preview, full schedule, and how to watch live Paris 2024 qualifying action on Olympic Channel
There will be 16 quotas for the Paris 2024 Olympic taekwondo event on offer at the 2024 Asian Qualification Tournament, taking place on 15 and 16 March in Tai’an in the People's Republic of China.
Stars from the recent Asian Games held in Hangzhou, like gold medallist Zhaoxiang Song and Arian Salimi, are among the elites seeking to qualify for Paris 2024 at the event.
Four Refugee Athletes will also be among the Olympic hopefuls.
Here is our ultimate guide to the key things we think you need to know about the final #RoadToParis2024 qualifier in taekwondo for Asian athletes.
And click here for more coverage throughout the championships, which you can watch exclusively on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and the official Olympics app for mobile devices.
Stars to watch at the Asian Qualification Tournament for Paris 2024
As per the qualification system for Paris 2024, the finalists for each of the four men's and four women's weight categories from Asia will earn his/her NOC a spot for the Olympic Games.
Leading Asian taekwondokas are hoping the stars align as they give the Olympics one last shot in the northern touristic city of Tai’an. On the men's side that includes China's Song, the winner of the men’s +80kg gold in Hangzhou last year, and Filipino Tokyo Olympian Kurt Barbosa, a three-time Southeast Asian Games champion, who is set to contest the men’s -58kg.
2022 Asian Champion Jasurbek Jaysunov of Uzbekistan is aiming to secure a quota in the men’s -80kg.
Al Farraj Wael leads a four-strong Athlete Refugee team seeking to secure the Olympic berths in China. He will share the tatami with Abbasi Ali and Ghotani Al Yehya in the men’s-68kg.
The other refugee athlete entered is Khavari Mahdi in the men’s-58kg, looking to emulate Kimia Alizadeh, who became the first ever refugee athlete to earn an Olympic qualifying spot in taekwondo.
Two-time Olympian Cansel Deniz is one of the most experienced of the 94 athletes who will compete in China. The Kazakh is entered in the women’s +67kg.
Kim Yu-Jin is the sole Republic of Korea contender in this competition and will be in action in the women’s -57kg. The 2013 world champion is looking to qualify for her debut Olympics.
Schedule of competition of the World Taekwondo Asian Qualification Tournament for Paris 2024
All times Tai’an, China time (GMT/UTC+8)
15 March
- 09:00 – 16:00 – Preliminaries: women’s -49kg, women’s-67kg, men’s -68kg, men’s-80kg
- 16:00 – 17:00 – Semifinals: women’s -49kg, women’s-67kg, men’s -68kg, men’s-80kg
- 17:30 – 18:30 – Bronze medal contests: women’s -49kg, women’s-67kg, men’s -68kg, men’s-80kg
16 March
- 09:00 – 16:00 – Preliminaries: women’s -57kg, women’s +67kg, men’s -58kg, men’s +80kg
- 16:00 – 17:00 – Semifinals: women’s -57kg, women’s +67kg, men’s -58kg, men’s +80kg
- 17:30 – 18:30 – Bronze medal contests: women’s -57kg, women’s +67kg, men’s -58kg, men’s +80kg
How to watch 2024 World Taekwondo Asian Qualification Tournament
You can catch action from Asian Qualification Tournament live on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and the official Olympics app.