met an olympian yesterday

[mcmoon]

I train mma and bjj mostly but i train out of a tkd school. Im in college and yesterday a new guy came in from africa to do tkd(he has been coming fairly often but still rather new). We were watching him do some kicking drills which were pretty beastly and some how the olympics got brought up. I already knew he had been in the jr olympics for tkd but yesterday he said he was going to the olympics this year too and since he is in college too then he would be too old for the jr olympics

Just thought it was interesting.....oh and i think he will be competing out of gabon or however you spell it

 

[Tez3]

If it's Gabon according to this they have no TKD people in the Olympics. they have a Judoka and a boxer though.
http://goafrica.about.com/od/peopleandculture/a/africaolympics.htm

"Gabon will be represented by a female judo contestant, a boxer and a couple of track and field athletes."

perhaps one of the other countries?

 

[mcmoon]

Well then i might be wrong.....he didnt say from where but it had gabon on the back of his uniform so i just assumed thats where he would represent from. He seemed fairly genuine so i dont think he lied so i bet it will just represent from somewhere else

 

[Gentle Fist]

Very cool. I have met a couple in Judo and it is always fun to train with them and see how well I stack against them (which is usually not very good!)

 

[mcmoon]

Very cool. I have met a couple in Judo and it is always fun to train with them and see how well I stack against them (which is usually not very good!)

I didnt actually train with him but just watching him train his kicks are miles apart from what I can do and i would not not consider myself a bad kicker. He was a really nice guy and im 22 and think this is his first year of college so i would put him at 18 or 19

 

[Omar B]

You met an Olympian? How about my family reunion last week had a multiple Olympian. http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/al/peter-aldridge-1.html

Yes, 4 times at the Olympics and yes Jamaica is a small country.

 

[terryl965]

Tell us his name: because just because he can kick does not make him a Olympic caliber TKD'er. Maybe he is going in track and field and he dabbles in TKD? Anyway what college? If I had a bit more info I could help you.

 

[Archtkd]

I train mma and bjj mostly but i train out of a tkd school. Im in college and yesterday a new guy came in from africa to do tkd(he has been coming fairly often but still rather new). We were watching him do some kicking drills which were pretty beastly and some how the olympics got brought up. I already knew he had been in the jr olympics for tkd but yesterday he said he was going to the olympics this year too and since he is in college too then he would be too old for the jr olympics

Just thought it was interesting.....oh and i think he will be competing out of gabon or however you spell it

Anyyone telling you Gabon does not have an Olympic taekwondoin is misinformed.

Gabon in January qualified for a heavyweigh birth in the Olympics during the African Taekwondo Championships, a continental Olympic qualifier tournament. Gabon’s Anthony Obame required a sudden-death round to defeat Daba Modibo Keita of Mali in a semifinal match and qualified his country. If the guy you've met is Obame he must be very good because Keita -- who is trained by Patrice Remarck -- is very good and has won the world championships twice. Keita is also going to be at the Olympics.

 

[mcmoon]

Tell us his name: because just because he can kick does not make him a Olympic caliber TKD'er. Maybe he is going in track and field and he dabbles in TKD? Anyway what college? If I had a bit more info I could help you.

He goes to Louisiana tech and I'm bad with names so I don't remember but if you can wait a few days I will try and get his name and where he will represent when I got back

P.s. yes I know just because he can kick doesn't make him an olympian in tkd.....I was going by what he said and just stated that he was very good

 

[Tez3]

Anyyone telling you Gabon does not have an Olympic taekwondoin is misinformed.

Gabon in January qualified for a heavyweigh birth in the Olympics during the African Taekwondo Championships, a continental Olympic qualifier tournament. Gabon’s Anthony Obame required a sudden-death round to defeat Daba Modibo Keita of Mali in a semifinal match and qualified his country. If the guy you've met is Obame he must be very good because Keita -- who is trained by Patrice Remarck -- is very good and has won the world championships twice. Keita is also going to be at the Olympics.

I can find articles saying he qualified but none saying he's going. Sadly it often happens that something comes up to stop an athlete coming to the Olympics. Hope not though, it would be a shame if they have a qualifer and he coudln't compete.

 

[Archtkd]

1

 

[Archtkd]

I train mma and bjj mostly but i train out of a tkd school. Im in college and yesterday a new guy came in from africa to do tkd(he has been coming fairly often but still rather new). We were watching him do some kicking drills which were pretty beastly and some how the olympics got brought up. I already knew he had been in the jr olympics for tkd but yesterday he said he was going to the olympics this year too and since he is in college too then he would be too old for the jr olympics

Just thought it was interesting.....oh and i think he will be competing out of gabon or however you spell it

That Olympian from Gabon, who you met was Anthony Obame and he won a silver medal in London, becoming the first person from the small West African country to ever win an Olympic medal, He very nearly took gold in the final. He lost a very good fight with Carlo Molfetta of Italy, to a judges' decision after the fighters drew 9-9 in the regulation three rounds, and tied 0-0 in the sudden death round.

 

[ATC]

Yep, you did meet an Olympian. I am just glad you got to see the kicks of an elite TKD athlete up close and in person. Many don't think that the kicks they see have any power, and the speed is off the charts in person. TV does not show the speed and power of the kicks well either.