The country currently boasts 22 medals, twice as many as the next nation, China.

And, at just 22-years-old, Jun Jang is part of that great tradition having returned from the Tokyo 2020 Games with bronze in the men's under-58 kilograms flyweight category.

While Jang is young, he is experienced. In 2016 he won the World Championships youth title at under-51kg, and the following year he added the Asian youth title, routing Carlo Dionisio of Philippines 42-6 in the final.

Immediately afterwards, aged 17, he competed in his first senior Grand Prix event, in Moscow, and then earned qualification to the Wuxi Grand Slam, following up by progressing all the way to the final before losing 37-16 to fellow countryman Tae-hun Kim.

In 2018, Jang won the Asian Championships in Ho Chi Minh City and the Korean Open before launching an audacious season in Grand Prix competition, earning gold in Moscow, bronze in Taoyuan, gold in the Grand Prix final at Fujairah and gold again in the Grand Slam in Wuxi.

The following year, at the World Championships in Manchester, Jang earned gold in the men's under-58kg category before adding further Grand Prix wins in Rome, Chiba, Sofia and the Grand Prix final in Moscow.

His momentum was halted only by the pandemic. And upon returning to competition last year, he earned bronze after losing his semi-final to Tunisia's Mohamed Jendoubi, 25-19.

In 2022, Jang returned to business as usual with golds in his first three competitions - the Fujairah Open, the Turkish Open and the Rome Grand Prix, where his opponent in the final, satisfyingly, was Jendoubi.

This was despite the fact that he had caught COVID-19 just a month ahead of the Rome event.

"The last month I got COVID so the recovery was very hard," he told World Taekwondo. "It was difficult to train while I was recovering. 

"It has been a long time since I participated so to have competed and won gold, I am delighted."

It was not just the break from COVID-19 which presented challenges but also the introduction of the new best-of-three-rounds format which was being implemented for the first time in Rome.

"It was the first time to use these new rules so I was very pleased with how I adapted," Jang added. "In all my fights I played them the same and did my best all the time. If I got to two rounds first, I was able to save my energy and didn’t have to fight in a third round which helped me later on. I like the new format."

Looking ahead, Jang has very clear ambitions - "only gold medals," he says with a smile.

"This year I already competed at the Turkish Open and Fujairah Open so I already have got 40 ranking points.

"Now I want to focus on the Grand Prix. I will go step by step. Next is Paris. I will also compete in Guadalajara at the World Championships. 

"I am focused on participating at the Olympic Games in Paris. I want to qualify with a top ranking so I need to win as many gold medals in Grand Prix competition as I can."

Reflecting on his victory in the final, he said: "When I faced him [Jendoubi] in the Olympics it was the first time I had competed against him. I didn’t know his style.

"After the Olympics I did a video analysis so that’s why here in Rome I was able to make other strategies."

Looking ahead to the next Olympics he added: “In Paris I know the other athletes and their strategies better. I didn’t know them in Tokyo. So now I know more I hope to do better.”