World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue insists no changes can be made to taekwondo's rules after this year prior to Paris 2024 ©World Taekwondo

World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue has insisted that the new set of rules which will be used at Paris 2024 need to be finalised by the end of the year.

Speaking at the head of team meeting at the Hotel Presidente Intercontinental in Guadalajara in Mexico, Choue urged coaches and officials to propose any final tweaks they wish to be made to the rules before they are set in stone for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The Paris 2024 rules are expected to be largely the same as those in force at the World Championships here.

Choue insisted that taekwondo's future was "very bright" but emphasised the need to make changes after Tokyo 2020 to ensure the sport remains on the Olympic programme.

After last year's delayed Olympics in the Japanese capital, World Taekwondo implemented a raft of changes to the competition rules.

Among the changes was introducing a best-of-three system where athletes need to win two of the three rounds to secure victory, minimising clinching and gam-jeoms handed out to players that lift their leg for kicking in the air four times or more.

Confirmation that no further changes to the rules would be made for the World Taekwondo Championships was met with applause in the room at the head of team meeting.

"Since the World Taekwondo Junior Championships in Sofia [in August], coaches and athletes were somewhat confused and this World Taekwondo Championships is almost the last stage to adjust the competition rules and regulations," said Choue.

"After this competition, if you have any good ideas let the Technical Committee know and they will make final adjustments to the competition rules and regulations.

"This is almost the final stage as we have another Grand Prix event in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia in December.

"There will be no changes after this year, there cannot be so if you have anything to say discuss it with the Referee Committee and the Technical committee.

"We need your advice."

Chungwon Choue addressed coaches and officials at the head of team meeting before the World Taekwondo Championships in Guadalajara ©World Taekwondo
Chungwon Choue addressed coaches and officials at the head of team meeting before the World Taekwondo Championships in Guadalajara ©World Taekwondo

Choue said the rule changes were central to World Taekwondo’s mission to remain an Olympic sport beyond Los Angeles 2028.

"I promise you that taekwondo’s future is very bright," said Choue.

"Ten or 15 years ago, after the Olympics we were always worrying whether it will be on the next Olympic programme or not.

"We have had to work very hard, but I am sure that taekwondo will be in the programme as a main core sport after Los Angeles [2028].

"Officially taekwondo is in the Olympic programme until Los Angeles.

"After that, the IOC [International Olympic Committee] will review and evaluate all the different Olympic sports to see whether they will join as a core sport at Brisbane [2032].

"That means the success of the Olympic Games in Paris is very important.

"That's why World Taekwondo decided to change some competition rules and regulations to make the sport more dynamic, more fair and transparent."