Taekwondo and the challenge to match or beat London

The Spanish Olympic taekwondo team looks at the Games in Rio de Janeiro 2016 the possibility to continue making history hand gold medal in London 2012 Joel Gonzalez, who recovered from a serious knee injury aspires to defend the honor in a new category of -68 kg, while the young Jesus Tortosa (-54 kg) and Eva Calvo (-57 kg) willing and able to fight for metals in search of the sport repeat at least four years.

In the London Games, taekwondo was one of the most successful sports went to Spain to sign a hundred percent on their athletes. Three went and got three medals, led by gold Joel Gonzalez, who seconded the silvers of retired Brigitte Yagüe and Nico Garcia Hemme.

Far from being an unknown candidate, Joel González now has the double pressure of being Olympic champion and he always gets on top, fight for a medal in Rio. They can get away from the spotlight the Olympic debutantes Jesus Tortosa, who wants to be 'the new Joel' in the sense of giving an unexpected joy, as Eva Calvo facing its greatest challenge.

But is Catalan Joel Gonzalez who, after reaching the peak of his career in London 2012 with 22 years with gold in the category of less than 58 kg and spend four hard years for a serious injury to his left knee, breaking the posterior ligament, looking to repeat success. Recovered from that blow and subsequent relapse, the power being in Rio gave him strength to make a living and reinvent himself. At the same speed, which has not lost, he adds strength and claw to go for the gold with ten kilos.


The Figueres wants to prove to himself, and who supported him then and now, still the best. He has fought for it and come to Rio with good results at his new weight, where he studied each of its rivals. One of them could be the candidate for the gold Korean Lee Dae-hoon, who won in the second round of the 2015 World Chelyabinsk past and against who managed his, so far, only Olympic gold.

In addition, the Turkish Servet Tazegül or Belgian Jaouad Achab, who pushed him gold in the World of Russia, will be there waiting in a Herculean challenge. Many applicants, all of them old acquaintances for Joel Gonzalez has opted for a change of tactics to meet the -68 Kg. It is still faster and more agile than most rivals, but has gained in strength and mental strategy.

After hanging gold in London decided to change category for new challenges and also the result of a bittersweet fate that came to visit dressed in black in the injury of 2013, in a world where it is tested in -63 kg. But this criminologist It does not mean goodbye to his great passion, taekwondo, and comes to Rio with the tenacity of being back tears of joy in a tapestry. You now have media attention, which was not in London until a glorious day put taekwondo on the cover.

For his part, Jesus Tortosa Cabrera, the son of former European champion and world runner specialty Jesus Tortosa Alameda, seek to achieve Olympic glory to his father, tutor and teacher could not choose to not be considered an Olympic sport taekwondo up Sidney 2000. Now, this young man from Tres Cantos (Madrid) of only 18 years, comes to Rio with all the enthusiasm and ambition possible, without pressure, way to continue his good form.

Without being able to go still a major world competition as will these Olympics, the Spanish itself has been successfully tested in the European Games Baku 2015 (silver in -58 kg) and the European Baku 2014 (-54 kg bronze ) and Montreux 2016, when he won silver at -54 Kg losing only against the Belgian Laachraoui Mourad, who will also be in Rio.

Located among the best in its category at the European level, Tortosa hopes to take another step in a first Games where he will hand Joel Gonzalez and in which got to be second in the Olympic qualifiers in Istanbul, in a brilliant performance that should be the reference for this appointment. If this appears strong name could enter the list of Spanish landmarks in the Games.