Wu Jingyu becomes first Chinese member of World Taekwondo Athletes' Committee
China's two-time Olympic gold medalist Wu Jingyu became the first Chinese member of the World Taekwondo Athletes' Committee. The news was announced at the closing ceremony of the 2019 World Taekwondo Championships on Sunday in Manchester, Britain.
There were in total four new members selected for the Athletes' Committee this time. The other three are Nikita Glasnovic from Croatia, Benjamin Haines from Britain and Stephen Lambdin from the U.S.
Choue Chung-won, World Taekwondo's president, granted committee member certificates to the four. They will serve the position from 2019 to 2023. By the year of 2021, one man and one woman from the four new members will be new chairpersons of the Athletes Committee and ex-officio members of the World Taekwondo Council.
Having won the election, Wu expressed her gratitude for the trust athletes have in her. She said that she realized the responsibilities on her shoulder and promised that she will be devoting herself to speaking for athletes and improving connections between the World Taekwondo Athletes' Committee and the International Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission.
China's Zheng Shuyin cries after losing women's -73kg final because of a controversial judgment by the referee at the 2019 World Taekwondo Championships in Manchester, UK, May 17, 2019. /VCG Photo
Wu entering the committee will also help Chinese athletes better protect their reasonable and legal interests. On May 17, China's Zheng Shuyin lost women's-73kg final of the World Championships because of controversial judgment by the Moroccan referee Tarik Benradi.
Zheng, who is also president of the Chinese Taekwondo Federation, said that China already made an appeal to the World Taekwondo over the case.
"We hope World Taekwondo will give us justice. We made two requests in the appeal. Firstly, the decision should be overturned. Secondly, the referee should be banned for life," said Guan Jianmin, head coach of the Chinese national team.
According to Xinhua, Benradi has not been seen since the final and it will be "very difficult for him to officiate at world competitions."
"Every other match was held perfectly. I have met such unfavorable decisions in my career, but this time the referee has gone too far," said Wu,