The World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) has announced that the inaugural event of its new Grand Prix series will be held in the football city in the northwest of England from December 13 to 15.

This will be the first of four Grand Prix series events to be staged around the world, building up to the Grand Prix Final at the end of next year.

It is understood that China is high on the list of countries likely to join the United Kingdom in hosting an event.

The competition is being introduced with the aim of raising the standard of competition in between Olympic Games and World Championships, and of capitalising on what the sport's leaders believe is an appetite, in the wake of London 2012, for more regular top-class taekwondo on the global stage.

London 2012 produced, according to Chungwon Choue, WTF President, "some of the best taekwondo action that the sport has ever seen.

"We want to ensure that this standard not only continues, but that we build on it."


Each individual step of the Grand Prix series will involve the top 35-ranked athletes, male and female, from all Olympic weight categories.

At each event, the host nation will be permitted to add one male and one female athlete per weight category.

However, no country will be allowed more than two athletes per weight.

This is to foster what the WTF calls "the universality of the competition".

The Grand Prix Final will take the top eight-ranked athletes from each category.

Jade Jones, whose gold medal-winning performance at London 2012 thrilled home fans, described the move as "a huge step forward for the sport".

She added: "As an athlete, it's important that we have the chance to compete regularly against the very best in the world and the Grand Prix series will give us those opportunities."

The British athlete said she "can't wait" until December.

"It's going to be great to compete in front of a passionate home crowd again," she said.