Copy in clipboard...
World Taekwondo Championships:
Nasiri learns from Baku blues, eyes podium finish in Wuxi
Nasiri, 21, was part of the Iranian team in the 2023 edition in Baku, Azerbaijan, but suffered a first-round exit against ultimate silver medalist Kamonchanok Seeken of Thailand in the -46kg weight class.
“My debut at the World Championships was a great learning experience for me, and I’m determined to build on it to deliver top-notch performances in Wuxi and win a medal,” Nasiri told Mehr News Agency.
The young Iranian has collected numerous medals at various international events over the past couple of years – including a bronze at last year’s Asian Championships and a gold at April’s WT President’s Cup – but the challenge in Wuxi will be on a different level, as it marks the first step on the road to securing a spot at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The women’s -46kg division will feature 56 contestants, with Chinese Taipei’s Huang Ying-hsuan and Cota Rican prodigy Jaycee Bassett – ranked first and second respectively in the latest world rankings – among the favorites to walk away with the ultimate prize.
Nasiri has mixed memories of facing Huang in recent months, having beaten the Chinese Taipei star at February’s Fujairah Open before falling to the former world bronze medalist at the World University Games in July.
Bassett, meanwhile, will be looking to improve on her silver medal at the 2024 World Junior Championships, having won a couple of gold medals at President’s Cup earlier in the summer.
Turkish world No. 5 Emine Gogebakan and Russian Milana Bekulova, who will compete as a neutral athlete, will be among the -46kg contestants to watch in Wuxi.
Gogebakan won an impressive gold medal at the German Open in September, while Bekulova triumphed at May’s WT President’s Cup – Europe as well as the Multi European Games in August.
“I’m very familiar with my opponents, as I’ve competed against most of them in various tournaments. This edition of the competition features top-tier athletes from countries like Chinese Taipei, South Korea, Japan, and other leading nations, all of whom are formidable competitors,” said the world No. 25 Nasiri.
“We’ve had the benefit of a full year of well-organized training camps dedicated to these World Championships. Our coaching staff has overseen rigorous, high-quality sessions, ensuring the entire team is arriving at the tournament in peak condition, both physically and technically.
“I’ve put in a tremendous amount of effort for this event and my sole focus is on returning home with a medal. Over the past two years, I’ve been on a steady path of improvement, and I hope to finally reap the rewards of the hard work put in by myself and the technical staff at this competition.”