Go claims taekwondo's fourth gold

VIENTIANE – Tshomlee Go unraveled his Olympic class as he disposed of Vietnamese Le Huynh Chau, 4-0, and produced the Philippines’ fourth gold in taekwondo in the 25th Southeast Asian Games here yesterday.

The two-time Olympian and former Asian silver medalist dominated the Vietnamese with a combination of quarterkicks and front kicks in a series of counterattacks to claim the gold in front of Filipino supporters at the taekwondo gym of the National University.

The gold was the fourth against three silvers and three bronzes for the taekwondo team, elating no less than national coach Rocky Samson, after two days of competition.

“I’m very happy. Three golds are okay with us, but if we win one or two more, that will make us extra happy,” he said, not counting the first one won by the poomsae team three days earlier.

Kim Hongsik, the Korean resident coach, however, said the taekwondo jins could still do better.

“Happy? Not yet. I want them to get two more golds. I want them to be the best (in the Philippine contingent),” he said.

Go, who failed to get past the first round in the Beijing Olympics last year, was even more impressive in the semifinals an hour earlier when he planted a perfect axe kick good for three points to oust Malaysian MohdAfifuddin Bin Omar Sidek, 7-4, after a 4-all deadlock before the last round.

Eunice Kathleen Alora, who defeated Nurul Nadia Mahamat, 3-2, in the semifinals, bowed to Thai SaritaPhongsri, 12-1, and settled for the silver in the bantamweight (53 kg) class.

Jeffrey Figueroa, who crushed Nguyen Quang Huy in the preliminaries, lost to Indonesian MeryWandra in the semifinal round, 3-1, and took the bronze in the bantamweight (63 kg) category.