HONG KONG, China (Dec 2, 2024) - Jaeyoung Byeon parades around the court at the Hong Kong Coliseum draped in the Korean flag. Spurred on by the crowd, he takes off and delivers a 1080° spinning kick, to the delight of those who have just watched him be crowned Freestyle Poomsae Male Under 17 world champion.

 

“In the auditorium someone shouted ‘1080’, and I successfully did the 1080! It was sudden, it was not planned!” he revealed of the post-competition celebrations.

 

It was certainly an impressive way to mark one of the most incredible performances seen at this year’s World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in Hong Kong, China. Following on from a strong showing by Canada’s Kai-Hsin Chang, Byeon was the last athlete to compete in the final as the top scorer from the semi-final earlier in the day.

 

The eyes of the arena were firmly on the court as Byeon span, flipped, cartwheeled and kicked his way through an adaptation of The Greatest Showman from the musical film of the same name.

 

It was a striking display and a unique accompanying soundtrack, but Byeon explained there is a deeper meaning behind his choice.

 

“In the movie The Greatest Showman, the opening and closing scene has the same music, so I edited that music to show everyone my show! I chose the music first and there is a story, so it is very different from the other athletes,” he said.

 

“During the national team qualification, I also used music from The Greatest Showman, but a different song, This Is Me. Only for this Championships did I use this music.

 

“I want to use this music continuously for the next two years, but I want to improve my techniques as well.”

 

Byeon said he was “very honoured” to add his name to Korea’s rich Taekwondo history. He admitted he was driven on by the support of his team-mates in the Hong Kong Coliseum, who could not contain their excitement throughout his astonishing display which was befitting of The Greatest Showman backdrop.

 

“All my coaches and athletes told me to not focus on the atmosphere, just to focus on myself and enjoy the stage. But after my first techniques were successful, the auditorium made a big cheer, and after that I enjoyed the stage and got more energy from my body,” Byeon said.

 

His dedication to and passion for Taekwondo is evident. He discovered the sport after seeing a Taekwondo Demonstration Team performance on social media when he was in elementary school. Since then, he has been inspired to master techniques himself, and achieve his dream of competing for the Korean national team.

 

“When I went to middle school at first grade, the elite coach recommended me to become an elite athlete, so I have now been an elite athlete for the last two years. After that, I had a dream to join the national team. After two years, I am now in third grade of middle school and finally my dreams came true,” Byeon shared.

 

“When I started as an elite athlete, I just hoped to be in the national team. It is very hard to be in the national team, but in domestic competition I won medals and improved step-by-step, and after that I thought I could be in the national team.”

 

Byeon trains six times a week – for three hours after school on weekdays, before receiving elite coaching at weekends.

 

His ultimate career goal is to win a gold medal at the Asian Games. Given Byeon’s age, his first opportunity will likely come in 2030, but being crowned world champion at under-17 level is a fine way to begin that journey.

 

“I want to be the gold medallist in the Asian Games. There is Recognised and Freestyle Poomsae, so when I go back to Korea I will train for Recognised Poomsae as well,” he said.

 

There have already been some spectacular performances at the Hong Kong 2024 World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships. The Greatest Showman was a bold and brave choice for Byeon to perform to, and he nailed it to emerge as a rising star from this event.