KAOHSIUNG (TVBS News) — Lo Chia-ling (羅嘉翎) will represent Chinese Taipei to compete in the taekwondo event at the 2024 Olympics in early August. Lo, who won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, aims to leverage her previous experience to excel in Paris.
Lo, the only taekwondo athlete from Chinese Taipei to qualify for this year’s Olympics, will compete in the women’s 57kg category, which features 15 qualified athletes. "With the experience from the Tokyo Olympics, I feel more familiar with the whole process this time. I’ll focus on each match; even if facing the repechage at the end, it will still be a new challenge," said Lo.
Lo faced an injury in the first half of 2024, leading to a break from international competitions and high-intensity training. As a result, Liu Tsung-ta (劉聰達), Lo’s coach, organized simulation matches in July to help her adjust. "If she goes straight into the Olympics after a six-month hiatus, it’s a bit risky. At the same time, we’re concerned about aggravating her injury. It's a dilemma, but we'll keep monitoring the situation," stated Liu.
Lo's father, Lo Wen-hsiang (羅文祥), a taekwondo coach himself, has supported her through her training. "Of course, as parents, seeing her get injured is very hard for us. But we don’t talk about it much. I hope she knows that what matters is that she feels she’s given her best and can be proud of herself. She doesn’t need to worry about what others think," said Lo Wen-hsiang.
The Taiwanese taekwondo star remains determined despite the rising challenges in international taekwondo. Lo expressed her desire to carry the spirit of all taekwondo practitioners to the Olympics. With her father's support and her coach's guidance, Lo aims to bring glory to Taiwan once again.