Poomsae delivers and brings medals for Puerto Rico: is there a possibility of massifying this modality of taekwondo?

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Santiago, Chile. The president of Puerto Rico Olympic Committee (Copur)Sara Rosario, expressed satisfaction with the achievements of the poomsae modality of taekwondo and he regretted that it is not an Olympic event to expose Puerto Rican talent at that level.

The Puerto Rican poomsae won three medals in three events at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games. He revalidated a medal in the mixed modality and won two individual medals for the first time. The three medals were bronze.

“I feel happy with those three medals. It is a great achievement for them (poomsae) and taekwondo. They have now achieved individual medals and it speaks of the work they have been doing with proper training. They have been sending themselves to events and investing in them,” Rosario said.

Poomsae is not a form of combat, but of forms, as kata is for karate. The athlete does some routines that are evaluated by judges.

The athletes Arelis Medina and Luis Gabriel Colon were the medal winners. They revalidated in mixed the bronze medal they added in Lima 2019 and each one added an individual medal.

Both train at the Arecibo Taekwondo Club.

Poomsae is an official modality only in the Central American and Caribbean Games and the Pan American Games. It is not yet an Olympic modality.

“With the numbers we had we knew that poomsae was a candidate for medals, in addition to the experiences we have had, because in (Central American and Caribbean Games) El Salvador we also won medals. “It’s no surprise,” Rosario said.

What Copur would like is for poomsae to become an Olympic modality to expand its medal opportunities in that scenario.

“Puerto Rico has always been a benchmark since poomsae began (in the Olympic cycle). But it is only in the Central American and Pan American Games,” he said.

Most athletes who enter taekwondo do so through combat. However, in that modality, Puerto Rico lost four fights in the first round of these Pan American Games.

The success of poomsae could begin a flow of athletes toward the modality, Rosario said. However, Rosario believes that poomsae has a challenge with trained personnel in order to become widespread.

“It is more innovative; It doesn’t take as long as combat. In taekwondo schools, combat is practiced more than poomsae. In addition, we would have to train many more coaches in this modality. Whenever there is success in a modality, movements can arise. But Puerto Rican athletes are more combative,” he said.