PARIS (AP) — Tokyo Olympic champion Panipak Wongpattanakit defended her title on Wednesday to secure Thailand’s first gold medal of the Paris Olympics on the opening day of the taekwondo competition.
The 26-year-old Wongpattanakit comfortably won her three opening bouts to reach the final of the 49 kilogram category.
She then trailed in the first round against China’s Guo Qing but rallied with two consecutive kicks to the body and head. Guo fought back to force a decider but Wongpattanakit prevailed after video reviews showed that she had successfully landed two spectacular head kicks.
Under the new rules introduced in Paris, bouts are decided on a best-of-three format rather than cumulative points.
Wongpattanakit celebrated the gold by grabbing a Thai flag after jumping into her coach’s arms.
Iran’s Mobina Nematzadeh and Croatia’s Lena Stojkovic won bronze medals.
Taekwondo tournaments at the Olympics award two bronze medals, with the losing semifinalists facing two contestants who lost to the finalists in the elimination phase.
Later Wednesday, Park Taejoon of South Korea was facing Gashim Magomedov of Azerbaijan in the men’s 58-kilogram class.
