Kim Tae-hun claimed his third successive World Taekwondo Championships title here today as hosts South Korea secured both gold medals on offer ©World Taekwondo

Kim Tae-hun claimed his third successive World Taekwondo Championships title here today as hosts South Korea secured both gold medals on offer. 

The 22-year-old beat Iran’s Armin Hadipour Seighalani 10-6 in the men’s 54 kilograms final having earlier overcome Italy’s Vito Dell’Aquila 16-0 in the penultimate round.

His triumph saw him add to those from the 2013 World Championships in Mexican city Puebla and the 2015 edition in Chelyabinsk in Russia.

Kim led the final 9-5 going into the third period and managed to hold on for victory, despite Hadipour Seighalani launching a last-minute charge with serial attacks and spinning kicks.

As a losing semi-finalist, Dell’Aquila was one of the two bronze medallists.

He was joined on the third step of the podium by Thailand’s Ramnarong Sawekwiharee, who lost 25-23 to Hadipour Seighalani in a thrilling last-four encounter.

South Korea’s first gold medal of the day was won by Sim Jae-Young after she overcame Vietnam’s Thi Kim Tuyen Truong 18-9 in the women’s 46kg final.

Only four points separated the pair going into the last period, but Sim managed to stretch it to nine by the end of the contest with the help of an extremely impressive twisting head kick.

South Korea's Sim Jae-Young overcame Vietnam's Thi Kim Tuyen Truong in the women's 46kg final ©World Taekwondo
South Korea's Sim Jae-Young overcame Vietnam's Thi Kim Tuyen Truong in the women's 46kg final ©World Taekwondo

In order to reach the final, Sim beat Colombia’s Andrea Ramirez Vargas 19-6 and Truong narrowly defeated Thailand’s Napaporn Charanawat 9-8.

Ramirez Vargas and Charanawat had to settle for the bronze medals.

Prior to completion of the men’s 54kg and women’s 46kg events, there was also preliminary-rounds action held today in the men’s 74kg and women’s 49kg categories.

The line-up for the men’s 74kg semi-finals sees 2015 runner-up Nikita Rafalovich of Uzbekistan face Kazakhstan's Kairat Sarymsakov and defending champion Masoud Hajizavareh of Iran meet Russia’s Maksim Khramtcov.

In the penultimate round of the women’s 49kg, Serbia's Vanja Stankovic will go up against Croatia's Kristina Tomic after the clash between China's Wenren Yuntao and Thailand's Panipak Wongpattanakit.

The finals in both categories will follow tomorrow’s semi-finals.

Additionally, the preliminary rounds of the men's 68kg and women's 67kg divisions are due to take place tomorrow.

To re-live today's action, check out our Live Blog here.