Skylar Park (right) in action against Stacey Hymer of Australia.MURAD SEZER/Reuters
Canada’s Skylar Park defeated Australia’s Stacey Hymer 25-15 on Sunday to reach the quarter-finals of the women’s 57-kilogram taekwondo event at the Tokyo Olympics.
The 20-year-old from Winnipeg fought defensively in the first minute of the third round at Makuhari Messe Hall, taking advantage of Hymer’s pressing offence in the second half of the round to pile on points.
Park is a medal hopeful after winning gold at the Pan Am taekwondo championship this year and silver at the 2019 Pan Am Games.
Canada has not won a medal in taekwondo since the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
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Karine Sergerie earned Canada’s last taekwondo medal, a silver in Beijing.
Two quick kicks to Hymer’s trunk gave Park an early lead in the first round and the Canadian held on to that advantage to lead 6-5 at the first break.
Hymer quickly tied it up with a punch to the body to open the second round, then took an 8-6 lead with a kick right after.
The Australian built a 12-6 lead in the first minute of the second round but Park unleashed a flurry of kicks in the next 60 seconds to take a 16-12 advantage into the third round.
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