Italy writes a new page in the history of freestyle taekwondo. Valentina Arlotti has won the bronze medal in the women's individual Over 17 event at the World Poomsae Championships, currently underway at the Air Dome in Songam Sports Town in Chuncheon, South Korea. It is the first medal ever won by Italian taekwondo in an individual freestyle event at world level.
"Honestly, right now I can't believe it, I still have to let it sink in. Saying I'm happy is an understatement," said the Italian athlete, born in 1995 in Rimini. "For this competition I felt very charged up and at the same time very responsible," she added. "I was hoping for it, but seeing my opponents, instead of feeling discouraged, I relaxed and tried to give my best, staying cheerful and understanding that this experience is something unique and that it should be lived to the fullest."
Italy is in Chuncheon with 21 athletes, ten in recognised forms and eleven in freestyle, with at least one Italian competitor in each of the five days of competition. The Korean edition is the most attended in history, with 1,411 registered athletes representing 83 nations and the Taekwondo Refugee Team.
