China's Wu Jingyu wins silver at World Taekwondo Championships
China's Wu Jingyu, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, had to be satisfied with the women's under-49kg silver medal at the World Taekwondo Championships in Manchester, England, after she was defeated by Thailand's world number one Panipak Wongpattankit in the final on Saturday.
Though Wu has richer experience at 32 years old, the fierce attacks of Wongpattankit, 21, overwhelmed the Chinese, who has just returned to competition after having her first child.
Having lost several key points in the first round, Wu had to accept her loss of 21-6 after three rounds.
Panipak Wongpattanakkit (L) from Thailand battles against Wu Jingyu from China in the women's under-49kg final of the World Taekwondo Championships in Manchester, England, May 18, 2019. /VCG Photo
"Something's wrong with my tactics today and I lost some key points too early. I don't think the result is the most important. The fact that I can still stand here and fight after having a baby matters more to me," Wu said after the final.
Since she failed to win three straight Olympic gold medals at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Wu chose to retire and stayed away from Taekwondo for two years. However, her passion and love for the sport have not been extinguished and she began to prepare for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, six months after giving birth to her daughter.
Wu had won all of her four previous tournaments since her return.
Thomas Bach (L), president of the International Olympic Committee, awards the silver medal to Wu Jingyu after the women's under-49kg final of the World Taekwondo Championships in Manchester, England, May 18, 2019. /VCG Photo
Though she did not win at the world championships, she received a happy surprise after the final – a visit by her old friend, Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Bach presented the silver medal for Wu, making up for the regret that he could not do it for her in 2016 in Rio. Back in August 2014, when Wu and Bach were attending a banquet for the Youth Olympics, the IOC boss promised to present the gold medal to her if Wu won it in Rio. Though they were not able to make it happen in Brazil because Wu lost the contest, Bach matched his commitment in Manchester on Saturday.
According to Wu's husband Hou Kun, Bach has met them annually since 2013, and he even gave Wu's daughter her English name Gloria.
Her runner-up position brought Wu 72 Olympic points as she aims to return to the world's top 10 Olympic rankings. Wu will go to Rome, Italy in early June to participate in the first event of the 2019 World Taekwondo Grand Prix.