The seniors kicked off the European Taekwon-Do Championships in Lublin. ITF

A new day of top European taekwon-do began in Poland on Friday with the long-awaited senior categories, as well as the juniors and pre-juniors who had been competing since before the opening ceremony on Wednesday.

A chilly Lublin welcomed the senior debut in Team Mixed Pre-Arranged Sparring, Individual Male Special Technique, Team Mala Pattern, Team Mala Special Technique and Team Female Pattern.

Norway quickly took the lead in the medal tally with gold medals for the National Taekwon-Do Norway in Male Pattern with the participation of Loodtz Theo Lægreid, Steinkjer Ingebrigt, Lind Mats, Kristensen Emil, Tønder Lars and Kiyani Zaniar, and in Female Pattern with the team consisting of Hole Ann Linnea, Blegen Marte, Holten Tina Katrin, Sivertsvik Rita Moseng, Haukebø Solveig Lund and Listhaug Jenny Marvel.

Meanwhile, the host country secured five medals (one-two-two), but only one gold at the start of the senior participation. Michalski Arkadiusz beat Romania's Andrei Ionut Chiriac in the men's individual special technique to claim Poland's first gold. Iordachi Dumitru completed the podium at the Medical University of Lublin.


Scotland's only medal of the first half of the day came in the Mixed Pre-Arranged Sparring event, where Swinburne Jemma and Lobban Jack defeated the Italian pair of Andrea Bonfante and Luca Pecchia, who had strong support from their fellow delegates.

In the junior competition, Poland finished top of the medal table ahead of Ukraine and Ireland. The hosts made the most of the opportunity to perform in front of their home crowd, winning 15 medals (seven+three+five) in the first half of Friday's action, while Ukraine came second with five golds and a total of 11 medals.. Ireland, with 10 medals (but only two golds), tried to fight for a place on the podium.

Poland delivered a great performance at the start of day three in the juniors, moving from third to first place after winning eight medals (five golds) in the first hours of the rainy day in southern Poland.

In the pre-juniors, Romania continued to lead the medal table with a total of 12, four of each precious metal, followed by Ukraine (three+three+five) and Poland (three+three+three) with three golds, although the visitors had the advantage over the locals with more bronzes.