On Friday, 9 August, at the Grand Palais, athletes from Italy and Denmark claimed victory in the Paris 2024 taekwondo men’s -80kg bronze medal matches. In the first bronze medal match, Italy’s Simone Alessio secured a 2-0 win over Team USA’s CJ Nickolas. In the second match, Denmark’s Edi Hrnic also triumphed 2-0, defeating the Republic of Korea’s Seo Geonwoo.
Later that evening, Tunisia’s Firas Katoussi won the gold medal by defeating Iran’s Mehran Barkhordari 2-0, with Barkhordari taking home the silver medal.
Hrnic’s bronze marked a historic moment for Denmark, as it was the country’s first Olympic taekwondo medal. “Not only am I the first medalist, but I’m also Denmark’s first participant in 20 years,” Hrnic said. “To come here after such a long absence and win a medal shows the next generation how important this sport is and how it can be done.” Reflecting on his match against Seo, he added, “I’m very happy. He’s a tough opponent, but this victory shows my evolution over the past year.”
Alessio, who had narrowly missed out on a medal at Tokyo 2020, expressed his satisfaction with the bronze. “It’s beautiful to have a medal around my neck,” Alessio said. “I came here for gold, but this second chance after the quarter-finals was one I couldn’t let slip away. This medal represents all the work I’ve put in over the past three years, and I can’t wait to give it to my parents.”
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