TAEKWONDO Preview: Seventeen World Champions competing in eight classes at Rome Grand Prix!

The first World Taekwondo Grand Prix of the season is on in Rome (ITA) at the Foro Italico Arena, with excellent fields ready to compete. The top-ranked entries in each of the eight weight classes, and the 2019 World Champions (if not in the top three):

Men

-58 kg:
1. Tae-hun Kim (KOR: 1) ~ 2017 World 54 kg Champion
2. Jesus Tortosa Cabrera (ESP: 2) ~ 2017 World bronze medalist
3. Mikhail Artamonov (RUS: 3) ~ 2017 World silver medalist
+ Jun Jang (KOR: 5) ~ 2019 World Champion

-68 kg:
1. Dae-Hoon Lee (KOR: 1) ~ 2019 World bronze medalist; 2017 World Champion
2. Jaouad Achab (BEL: 2) ~ 2019 World 63 kg bronze medalist
3. Lovre Brecic (CRO: 5)
+ Bradly Sinden (GBR: 7) ~ 2019 World Champion
+ Shuai Zhao (CHN: 10) ~ 2019 World 63 kg Champion

-80 kg:
1. Maksim Khramtcov (RUS: 1) ~ 2017 World 74 kg Champion
2. Cheick Sallah Cisse (CIV: 2)
3. Nikita Rafalovich (UZB: 4) ~ 2017 World 74 kg silver medalist
+ Simone Alessio (ITA) ~ 2019 World 74 kg Champion

+80 kg:
1. Vladislav Larin (RUS: 1) ~ 2019 World Champion
2. Kyo-Don In (KOR: 2) ~ 2017 World 87 kg bronze medalist
3. Mahama Cho (GBR: 5) ~ 2017 World silver medalist
+ Rafael Alba (CUB: 35) ~ 2019 World +87 kg Champion

Women

-49 kg:
1. So-Hui Kim (KOR: 2)
2. Tijana Bogdanovic (SRB: 3)
3. Jae-Young Sim (KOR: 4) ~ 2017-19 World 46 kg Champion

● –57 kg:
1. Ah-Reum Lee (KOR: 2) ~ 2019 Worlds silver medalist; 2017 World Champion
2. Hatice Kubra Ilgun (TUR: 3) ~ 2017 World silver medalist
3. Tatiana Kudashova (RUS: 5) ~ 2017-19 World 53 kg silver medalist
+ Phannapa Harnsujin (THA: 28) ~ 2019 World 53 kg Champion

-67 kg:
1. Hyeri Oh (KOR: 1) ~ 2019 World 73 kg silver medalist
2. Lauren Williams (GBR: 3)
3. Ruth Gbagbi (CIV: 4) ~ 2017 World 62 kg Champion
+ Mengyu Zhang (CHN: 7) ~ 2019 World Champion

+67 kg:
1. Bianca Walkden (GBR: 1) ~ 2017-19 World Champion
2. Milica Mandic (SRB: 3) ~ 2017 World 73 kg Champion
3. Aleksandra Kowalczuk (POL: 4)
+ Da-Bin Lee (KOR: 6) ~ 2019 73 kg World Champion

The registrations show 255 fighters from 53 countries. There is prize money of $5,000-3,000-1,000 for the top three place winners. Look for results here.