Terrace held the provincial championships for Taekwondo for the first time ever.
Hosted by Terrace’s Atlantis Taekwondo, the International Taekwondo Federation of BC (ITFBC) Championships brought approximately 100 athletes from across the province to compete against one another at the Sportsplex on April 13.
“It went really smooth with no hiccups. We really appreciate everybody who travelled as far as they did to come up,” says Cody Skog, owner and instructor at Atlantis Taekwondo. “It’s nice to show off Terrace as well… There’s a sense of pride here hosting provincial championships.”
At the tournament, Atlantis Taekwondo gathered 25 gold medals, 29 silver and 16 bronze. A double-gold was snatched by red-belt Amanda Annibal in patterns.
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At the Sportsplex were two mat areas that were set up in the rink. One for sparring and the other for patterns. Each had a panel of judges that evaluated them on their skill-set.
“[In] patterns, every belt level has a set amount of moves that are very technical that are based on power, precision and balance,” says Skog. “[Sparring] is the combat aspect of the sport. It’s a point system. Punches are one-point, body kicks are two-points and if you kick [the head], it’s three points. It’s about timing, footwork, strategy.”
All winners of the category received a wooden medal that was crafted locally in the area. Skog says many people were happy with their medals, complimenting them for being “super cool and unique.”
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But Skog says the most important feedback has been hearing what a good time everyone has had and the friendships that have been formed between competitors.
“It’s a lot of work but quite rewarding and I enjoyed hosting for sure. It’s fun to see everybody get together,” Skog says. “I really appreciate the volunteers that help out, the community really donated a lot for the door prizes… they were very generous in helping out.”
Skog says that he will be applying to host Nationals in Terrace, which if approved, would take place in a few years.
Atlantis Taekwondo will be competing next at the 2019 Western Canadian Championships in Regina, Sask. from May 17 to 18.
natalia@terracestandard.com
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