Taekwondo Star Liu You-yun Wins Gold at National Intercollegiate Athletic Games, Shedding World Champion Pressure

Taoyuan, April 28 (CNA) Taekwondo rising star Liu You-yun, who won a gold medal at last year's World Championships, dominated the women's open 49kg category at her debut National Intercollegiate Athletic Games today. She stated that she is gradually shedding the pressure of being a world champion and aims to qualify for the Nagoya Asian Games national team.

Liu You-yun, a talented taekwondo athlete studying at Changhua Normal University, won the gold medal in the women's 49kg category at the World Championships last year at the age of 19, making her a highly anticipated new star in Taiwan. At the 115th National Intercollegiate Athletic Games held at National Central University this time, Liu You-yun showed dominant performance in the women's open 49kg category, ultimately defeating Li Wen-ting of Fu Jen Catholic University 2-0 in the gold medal match, winning gold in her first challenge at the National Intercollegiate Athletic Games.

After the match, Liu You-yun revealed in a media interview that she recently went to South Korea for training, focusing on action rhythm and details, gaining a lot of insights. She played openly at this National Intercollegiate Athletic Games without being particularly nervous. Although there was a minor incident where she wore the wrong color of protective gear, it did not affect her. She said, "I felt it was a bit absurd, but also quite funny."

Having earned the title of "World Champion" last year, Liu You-yun admitted that the pressure was immense at the time, but she slowly adjusted later. With guidance from her coach Su Tai-yuan, she learned not to care about what kind of gold medal it was or what achievements she had, letting everything reset and start anew. "This year is a bit better, the pressure isn't as great," she said.

She will soon head to Mongolia for the Asian Taekwondo Championships to compete for a spot in the Asian Games for Taiwan. Liu You-yun hopes to pass the national team selection trials and successfully step onto the Asian Games stage. "Although I'm quite nervous, I hope I can perform normally. Of course, I'm still looking forward to the Asian Games."

Su Tai-yuan, who also serves as the head coach of the Taiwan Taekwondo National Team, stated that the primary goal for the Asian Championships is to secure a "full quota" for the Nagoya Asian Games. He also hopes to build an aggressive team, so he has recently increased many offensive training sessions, hoping to bring out everyone's ferocity. After securing the quota, the national team selection will be based on individual ability. (Edited by Guan Zhong-wei) 1150428