Dec 8, 2019 - The World Taekwondo Grand-Prix Final came to an end on Saturday in Moscow, Russia where seven U.S. Taekwondo athletes were present and ready to compete. Representing team USA in the female division were Anastasija Zolotic (-57kg), Jackie Galloway (+67kg), Madelynn Gorman-Shore (+67kg), and Paige McPherson (-67kg). In the Male division for Team USA we had Jonathan Healy (+80kg), Stephen Lambdin (+80kg), and Thomas Rahimi (-80kg). The USA Taekwondo team walked away with (2) two bronze medals captured by Anastasija Zolotic and Paige McPherson.
Anastasija came out with a dominant performance in her first match against Croatia’s Nikita Glasnovic, point gapping her opponent in the second round (22-2) moving her to the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinal round, Anastasija took on 2 time Olympic Champion Jade Jones from Great Britain, both athletes had an unbelievable match exchanging hits back and forward. At the end USA’s Zolotic came out with an incredible victory of (36-32) moving her to the Semifinals. In the Semifinals, Anastasija took a tough and close (25-22) loss against Turkey’s Hatice Kubra Ilgun moving her to the Bronze medal round. In her final match of the Grand-Prix Final, Anastasija went up against Canada’s Skyler Park who she met earlier this year in competition at the Pan Am games in Lima, Peru where Anastasija came out victorious to take gold at the Pan Am Games. In an exciting rematch, Anastasija took a (6-4) win in a nail biting match that went all the way to the golden point round. Anastasija captures USA’s first medal of the day in Moscow.
McPherson came out victorious in her first match of the Grand-Prix Finals against Jordan’s Julyana Al-Sadeq with a (12-5) win, followed by a (7-5) victory in an exciting golden point round against Egypt’s Hedaya Malak to Advance to the semifinals. In the semifinal round, Paige took on Ruth Gbagbi from Ivory Coast who she lost (7-4) and moved Paige to the Bronze medal round. Paige concluded her Grand-Prix matches with a (6-5) victory against Magda Weit Henin claiming Team USA’s second medal of the Moscow Grand-Prix Final.
Madelynn Gorman-Shore was another USA athlete who came out with a win at the Grand-Prix Finals against Mexico’s Maria Espinoza in the Round of 16 with a (14-6) victory to move Madelynn to the Quarterfinals. In the Quarterfinals, Madelynn went up against Great Britain’s Bianca Walkden, taking a tough (20-0) loss.
This marked the end of World Taekwondo’s Grand-Prix Series for 2019, with USA claiming 3 medals in this years series.
(1) Bronze medal at the 2019 Grand-Prix Rome captured by Anastasija, (2) Bronze medals at the 2019 Grand-Prix Finals won by Anastasija and Paige.
