BEIJING -- China's Lei Jie and Tazegul Servet from Turkey snatched the gold medal in the women's 57kg and men's 68kg division respectively at the "2008 Good Luck Beijing" International Taekwondo Invitational Tournament here on Wednesday.
![China's Lei Jie (R) fights compatriot Zhang Hua in the women's 57Kg final of Good Luck Beijing 2008 International Taekwondo Invitational Tournament at the University of Science and Technology Beijing Gymnasium in Beijing February 27, 2008. Lei won the gold in the Beijing Olympic test event. The gymnasium will hold the judo and taekwondo events in the upcoming Beijing Games in August. [Agencies]](../../images/attachement/jpg/site1/20080228/000802ab4a630930688209.jpg)
China's Lei Jie (R) fights compatriot Zhang Hua in the women's 57Kg final of Good Luck Beijing 2008 International Taekwondo Invitational Tournament at the University of Science and Technology Beijing Gymnasium in Beijing February 27, 2008. Lei won the gold in the Beijing Olympic test event. The gymnasium will hold the judo and taekwondo events in the upcoming Beijing Games in August. [Agencies] |
Having survived a breathtaking 2-1 "sudden death" bout against former world champion Lopez Diana of the United States in the semifinals, the 22-year-old Lei showed the steady performance in the final to claim the second gold for the host after her teammate Wu Jingyu achieved the first one on Tuesday.
Lei, the silver medalist at the National City Games, challenged Zhang Hua in the first set but neither side managed to score. After the interval, the young taekwondist took a 1-0 lead in the early second set, hitting her opponent on the chest.
Zhang, bronze medalist at the 2007 National Championships, tried to reply in the final set while Lei managed to make the other kick to get one score but was whistled a penalty by the judge later. Then neither of them changed the score.
"I do not feel too much pressure at the final tonight just like the semifinal against famous Lopez. Thanks a lot for the support of the audience," said Lei after the championship bout.
In the third place deciders, the host's Zheng Xiaolang and Nunes Debora of Brazil shared the bronze medal after beating their respective opponents.
On the men's side, the 19-year-old Tazegul Servet from Turkey overcame a 2-3 first set slump and fought back to overtake the lead with a 6-1 run with powerful and decisive kicking in the second set.
Though his counterpart Osornio Eric of Mexico tried to reply later, the runner-up at 2005 World University Games could not find any chance to challenge his energetic opponent. The 19-year-old Turk managed to defend his lead with clever moves in the final set to claim the first gold for his delegation.
"I have started taekwondo since five years old, so it was not easy for my today's achievements. Though I could meet many top-level opponents in the Olympics, I will aim for the title with next stage's training," commented Servet, also the gold medalist at 2004 World Junior Championships.
In the third-place playoffs earlier, Chong Ryan Wy Lunn of Malaysia and China's Zhu Shengpeng downed their opponents to wrap up the bronze medal.
The four-day Olympic test event, which has drawn 128 athletes from 27 countries and regions, the same number of athletes for the Olympics, opened on Tuesday morning at the Gymnasium of the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB) , the venue for the Olympic judo and taekwondo competition in August.
