13th December 2021

Amy Truesdale and Joe Lane with their silver medals.

Amy Truesdale and Joe Lane ensured the best medal haul for GB Taekwondo fighters at the World Para Taekwondo Championship.

The Manchester trained pair, competing in new weight categories for the first time, claimed silver medals at the Istanbul hosted tournament.

Truesdale, looking to add to her World golds from 2014 and 2017, won three bouts to reach the +65 kg final.

And despite her best efforts, the Chester athlete lost 21-11 in the final to Azerbaijan’s 20-year-old Tokyo 2020 Paralympic champion, Guljonoy Naimova.

However, she said: “I am very emotional but also so proud of Joe. I haven’t even celebrated my bronze medal from Tokyo yet so this will mean a double celebration when I get home.

“But I went into the Worlds feeling very relaxed and I think that helped my performances.”

LTR: Tom Paine (Physiotherapist), Amy Truesdale, Joe Lane and High Performance Coach, Andrew Deer.

Londoner Lane stepped in as an 11th-hour replacement for 2019 world heavyweight champion, Matt Bush at Tokyo 2020.

Fighting at his more natural weight of -80kg, he came of age by winning his first major medal.

“It was a crazy day and I faced some really tough opponents in my side of the draw,” he said.

“I felt super confident and trusted my game plan, went out and executed it.

“It is a great feeling to be on the podium as a world medallist. It feels like my work at GB Taekwondo has finally paid off.

“It has been a great year in many ways, but it has also been my toughest year as an athlete.

“There have been a lot of ups and downs and I have faced many mental challenges and difficulties.

“But this is a great end to the year, and I am looking to build on these results for the European Championships in 2022.”