CHUNCHEON, Korea (Oct 3, 2024) - It has been a remarkable period of success for Croatian Taekwondo, which has now become accustomed to winning Olympic and World Championships medals. With her victory in the women’s +68kg at the World Taekwondo Junior Championships, 17-year-old Magdalena Matić could be the latest star to emerge from the country.
Matić enjoyed a run to gold without dropping a round in Chuncheon. Yet perhaps what was most impressive about her performance was her maturity in the second round of the final against the USA’s Naomi Alade. After edging the first round 7-5, Matić was able to maintain control of the second and limit scoring opportunities for her opponent, eventually prevailing 5-1.
“We have been training very hard for that. I just listened to my coach, and we prepared for that match,” Matić reflected.
“It was very stressful with some hard matches, but I enjoyed it. All my training paid off.”
While Matić has enjoyed success at continental level in junior and cadet competitions, this trip to Chuncheon, Korea provided an opportunity for her to showcase her talent on the global stage.
And she has relished the environment provided by the World Taekwondo Junior Championships, feeding off the passion of the crowd and her team-mates.
“It’s amazing. It’s a very good atmosphere here. There is a lot of people and the public, so it felt amazing yesterday,” Matić said.
Matić discovered Taekwondo through her kindergarten teacher, and is the latest success story from the Marjan Taekwondo Club in Split. Others have included Croatia’s first Olympic Taekwondo champion Matea Jelić, reigning world champion at senior level Lena Stojković, along with Ivan Šapina, Bruna Duvančić and Paško Božić who were all medallists at last year’s World Taekwondo Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.
It provides an ideal training environment for talented young athletes such as Matić to learn and progress in the sport.
“It helps me a lot because they are my big motivation. I have many sparring partners in my club, so I can spar with them,” Matić said.
Matić added there is a very good team spirit among the Croatian squad at the World Taekwondo Junior Championships.
She has identified the mental side of her game as an area to work on, but is clear on the next steps for her to achieve her dream of competing and medalling at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
“My biggest aim is the Los Angeles Olympics, so I hope will go there and win a medal,” she said.
“I need to just work hard, train, improve my skills, go on some Grand Prix tournaments and World Championships.”
After the impressive performances of Croatian athletes at major Taekwondo competitions in recent years, there is no sign of that letting up, and Matić has proven that the future is just as bright as the present in the sport for this European nation of less than four million people.
