With a ‘fantastic four’ of medal prospects heading to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and a new £2.7million National Centre in Manchester, it’s fair to say that taekwondo in Great Britain has never been in better shape.
And while Rio-bound heavyweight Mahama Cho is proud of how far the sport has come, it is the prospect of an Olympic medal come August that ensures there is no complacency in his laser-focused preparations.
Cho was named alongside reigning -57kg Olympic champion Jade Jones, current +67kg World Champion Bianca Walkden and -80kg London 2012 bronze medallist Lutalo Muhammad in Team GB’s taekwondo squad earlier this week.
That took the number of selected athletes for Team GB to 152 from 13 sports but there are few other athletes with such world-class pedigree as the taekwondo quartet.
And while some competitors might flinch at discussing their medal prospects, or can’t visualise themselves achieving Olympic glory, Cho has no problem with either.
“Absolutely I’m confident,” he said. “I think that’s a question that’s been going through a lot of Olympians’ minds before they get out to Rio.
“But it’s one thing believing, and it’s one thing seeing it. I’m seeing it, and when I see something, I know it’s achievable and I know that it can happen.
“Just like the qualification tournament [where he qualified Team GB’s final quota spot], just like when I won the World Grand Prix.
“When I can see it and I can smell it, I know that my mind is there, so I’m really looking forward to getting out there now. Watch the highlights of 2012 – Rio will be double that.
“It’s been an emotional rollercoaster the journey that I’ve been through. Being announced in the Olympic squad is probably – well the icing is not on the cake until we get out to Rio – but the cake is made, so I’m really happy!”
[quote: It’s one thing believing, and it’s one thing seeing it. I’m seeing it, and when I see something, I know it’s achievable and I know that it can happen:Mahama Cho:left]
Cho’s up-and-down journey to Rio has been well-documented – stepping back from the sport after missing out on selection for London 2012 and quitting altogether after being unable to compete at the 2013 World Championships before a combination of his father Zakaia and British Taekwondo performance director Gary Hall lured him back.
The 26-year-old’s career has been on an upward trajectory ever since, mirroring the rise that taekwondo has been on in Great Britain ever since Sarah Stevenson won Team GB’s first Olympic medal in the sport by clinching bronze at Beijing 2008.
That was followed by Jones’ gold and Muhammad’s bronze on home soil four years later and with the National Taekwondo Centre in Manchester now giving the next generation the best possible opportunity to succeed at the sport, Cho insists Stevenson’s impact can’t be understated.
“It’s phenomenal to see where taekwondo is after where it’s come from, and I’m just happy that we are in a sport that’s going places,” added Cho.
“I’m proud that our success has contributed to that and when you walk through [the National Taekwondo Centre] and you see Sarah Stevenson, she’s the one who probably put the sport in our country in the first place.
“And then more athletes have been coming in, getting better, winning medals and putting out a good name for our country, and from there it’s getting better and better.
“For me the satisfaction is in hearing our boss [Hall] say ‘this is one of the best teams that we’ve ever had.’ That’s an achievement in itself, as we must be doing something right.
“I think people don’t credit Gary a lot but he has put time, blood, sweat and tears into this.
“We’re just really happy to have those types of people on our side, it’s onwards and upwards.”
Sportsbeat 2016