Olympics-Taekwondo-France’s Wiet-Henin in state of shock after early ousting

By Mathieu Rosemain

PARIS (Reuters) – French gold medal hopeful Magda Wiet-Henin was in a state of shock after suffering a crushing defeat at the start of the women’s taekwondo welterweight tournament on Friday.

American Kristina Teachout beat Wiet-Henin 11-8 9-0 in the round of 16 at the Grand Palais, ending the contest in the second round with the 2023 world champion looking subdued and drained.

France had high hopes for Wiet-Henin as she had defeated most of the fighters who are in the Olympic competition, but the possibility that she could even win a bronze medal through the repechage ended with Teachout’s later loss in the quarter-finals.

“It wasn’t the Magda who won the world championship. It was a different Magda,” said Rosendo Alonso, the Spanish coach of France’s taekwondo team.

“We knew that the American is an athlete who attacks a lot,” he said. “Magda is an athlete who gives 1,000% every time. So maybe the way she managed her emotions wasn’t right as the match went on.”

Wiet-Henin, 28, was still being consoled by her mother at the time of Teachout’s defeat, the team said.

France’s last hope for a second Olympic medal in taekwondo is 22-year-old Althea Laurin, who will compete in the women’s heavyweight class on Saturday.

A member of the French police force, she won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Games three years ago.

France’s Cyrian Ravet won bronze in the men’s flyweight on Wednesday after Italy’s Olympic champion Vito Dell Aquila withdrew because of a leg injury.

(Reporting by Mathieu Rosemain; Editing by Alison Williams)