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TOUCHLINE
PROFILE
In the last issue of Touchline we introduced Deanna
Kyriazopoulos as an up and coming potential future
Taekwondo world champion, one of the aspiring
young athletes sponsored by Spor tscover. Since we
last spoke to Deanna she been competing in the
World Championships in Russia and is just back
from the Pacif ic Games in which Australia competed
for the f irst time. Here with an update on her
achievements is Deanna’s blog.
DEANNA
KYRIAZOPOULOS
I was in Belgium for a week of training with the Belgium National
Team in May and then moved on to Russia for the tournament, which
lasted for 2 weeks.This experience was truly fantastic and gave me
the opportunity to train and compete with world-class athletes.
I gained a lot of valuable skills and experience. It was wonderful
making new friends from different countries as well.
I fought Japan in my first fight and unfortunately lost. The experience
I gained from this competition will definitely help prepare me for
further competitions. I am very proud that I had the opportunity to
represent Australia at the senior World Taekwondo Championships
as a junior.
I participated in the Australian Open in June, which was an
international event held in Melbourne. Unfortunately I lost to New
Zealand, a very experienced fighter.
I am also very grateful to have been selected for the Pacific Games
held in Papua New Guinea. I am the youngest member of the
Australian Senior Taekwondo Team. I just returned from these Games
and am very proud to have won a silver medal in a very tough final
against New Zealand which ended in sudden death. At the end of
the three rounds, the score was 4-4 and unfortunately the golden
point round didn’t go my way. I am incredibly proud knowing that
gold is well within my reach. My opponent was a much older and
experienced athlete. This is the first time Australia and New Zealand
were invited to participate at the Pacific Games and my medal was
the first ever Australian taekwondo medal at a Pacific Games. I am
very proud of that.
It has been an incredibly rewarding and exciting year and I am now
currently focusing on my schoolwork and training to prepare for
future competitions.
TOUCHLINE
ISSUE 21 | AUGUST 2015 |
15