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“Fantastic”: Manfred Stadtmüller makes a special World Cup appearance

2022-05-17T07:50:51.415Z


The Poomsae World Championships were recently held on the Korean peninsula, where Taekwondo originated. Manfred Stadtmüller gave the team a medal.


The Poomsae World Championships were recently held on the Korean peninsula, where Taekwondo originated.

Manfred Stadtmüller gave the team a medal.

Seoul – There was still a little space left in the suitcase, so it was clear to Manfred Stadtmüller: his leather trousers would go with him on the journey to East Asia.

Dressed in Bavarian traditional costume, the man from Peiting - together with his teammate Bärbel Reiner, who appeared in a dirndl - was one of the eye-catchers at the official opening of the twelfth World Cup in Taekwondo Forms (Poomsae).

But Stadtmüller also cut a good figure on the mat in South Korea in his regular Dobok sports suit.

The 63-year-old won the bronze medal in his age group.

"Fantastic" was Stadtmüller's conclusion - and followed up with the rhetorical question: "What more could you want?"

Manfred Stadtmüller takes bronze in Poomsae title fights

At the world title fights two years ago, Stadtmüller won the silver medal in the U65 class.

Because of the pandemic, the World Cup was held as an online tournament at the time.

This time the usual format - with competitions in attendance - was announced.

Almost 800 athletes from 62 countries had registered, "more than ever before," as Stadtmüller explained.

The organizers went to great lengths to prevent infection with Corona.

Except on the mat, the participants were only allowed to move in the hall with a mask.

Hand disinfection and body temperature measurement were mandatory for anyone wanting to enter the sports facilities.

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Overjoyed with bronze: Manfred Stadtmüller (right) at the award ceremony in the U65 class.

The Iranian Nader Khodamorad (3rd from right) became world champion.

© DTU

Stadtmüller had a break during the first days of the competition and was able to observe the other members of the German national team, including three men and one woman from the Bavarian Taekwondo Union.

The dimensions of the competition venue surpassed everything that Stadtmüller had experienced at tournaments to date.

The "Kintex Korea International Exhibition Center" in Goyang offers space for five large halls on an indoor area of ​​around 54,000 square meters.

Taekwondo World Cup in South Korea a big event

A huge warm-up area as well as a lounge area and WLAN possibility for up to 150,000 devices - the dimensions were enormous.

"That was extraordinary," says Stadtmüller.

What he benefits from in such situations: "I can ignore it well and I'm absolutely in the tunnel." Ultimately, that also helped the service technician on the mat.

On the fourth day it was finally Stadtmüller's turn;

he faced 14 other athletes in his class.

At the start, it was all about placing among the top eight, who then fought for the medals in the final.

In all rounds, the athletes always had to present two forms, which were selected by lot in advance.

Stadtmüller qualified third for the final round.

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The kicks are his strength: Manfred Stadtmüller showed good form at the World Cup in the homeland of Taekwondo and won one of two German medals.

© DTU

There he had to deal with the Swede Josef Chiu, sixth in the preliminary round, in the quarter-finals.

In both forms the German got the better results from the seven judges.

That put him in the top four and, since the losers in the semi-finals are no longer fighting for bronze, he was sure of a medal.

But the man from Peiting, who won the European Championship title last November, wanted more.

However, he faced the reigning world champion, Dong Kaun Seo (South Korea).

In the semifinals the duel with the reigning world champion

Stadtmüller had to hit the mat first and had to show form number ten (the mountain).

It focuses on stability and calm, and includes long stance phases.

"There's not a single kick in it," said the sixth black belt.

A real disadvantage for him, because the Peitinger has his strengths in kicking as well as in jumps and turns.

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He promptly traded a backlog against Seo.

In the second form (this time number 16/Hansu), the German reduced the deficit and just missed the final.

For Stadtmüller there is absolutely no reason to be disappointed.

Rather, he was happy about the bronze medal.

Overall, the German team won bronze twice, taking 17th place in the medal table.

Stadtmüller had prepared intensively for the World Cup, also because he was able to use a rented gym from TSV Schongau.

National coach Daniela Koller and his home trainer, Tanya Stadtmüller, also played their part in Stadtmüller traveling to South Korea in good shape.

With victories at the southern Bavarian championship in Gauting and at an international tournament in Dillingen, he gained self-confidence.

Source: merkur

All sports articles on 2022-05-17

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