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As we welcome in the New Year and look forward to a busy 2026, we pause to reflect on how 2025 re-shaped GB Taekwondo. From athlete retirements and breakthrough performances, to the changing face of GB Taekwondo off the mat, 2025, was quite a year.
On The Mat
The 2025 World Championships in China was the biggest yet, with 853 athletes from 145 nations out to secure medal success. At the championships:
• Tokyo Olympic medallist, Lauren Williams achieved her first major medal since moving to the Women’s heavyweight division, which was also her first World Championship medal.
• Paris Olympic medallist, Caden Cunningham re-affirms his commitment to the LA Games mission with his first World Championship medal after a year of mixed Taekwondo and MMA training, including time at UFC Shanghai.
Both Caden and Lauren also took medals in the highly competitive GP Challenge events.
As we looked to the future our eyes were on the breakthrough performances from the next generation of athletes. In championship competition, 2025 saw Matt Howell took a medal in the World University Championships, Jodie McKew a silver at the Women’s World Championships, and our Junior team took 4 medals at the European Championships of which three were achieved by first year juniors.
New Faces
2025 was also a year of significant transition, one that honoured extraordinary legacies, whilst also welcoming new leadership and fresh perspectives.
• Jade Jones MBE stepped away from GB Taekwondo after an incredible 15-year international career. An Olympic Champion in London and Rio, Jade leaves an indelible mark on the sport as she embarked on a new challenge in professional boxing.
• Olympic medallist and three-time World Champion Bianca Cook called time on her international taekwondo career. While stepping away from competition, Bianca remains a powerful force in the sport as a coach, commentator, and Chair of the World Taekwondo Athlete Committee.
• Leadership changes within the performance team marked a new chapter. Garry Owen was appointed Head of Athlete Performance, Ruebyn Richards as Head of Athlete Development, and Andy Paton as Head of Teams & Operations. Together, they have taken on the responsibility of reshaping the future of performance at GB Taekwondo.
• At Board level, we said goodbye to Chair Julia Newton and Board member Mike Loosemore at the end of their terms. We welcomed new Board members Vicky Lowe, Chris Haines, and Jo Larkin, and appointed Ian Gillis as Chair, following his previous service as a Senior Non-Executive Board member.
• And 2025 saw the growth of our female performance workforce. We were proud to welcome:
• Maddy Moore: Development Coach
• Lauren Jackson: S&C Coach
• Olivia Patten: Data Analyst
• Kate Walsh: Psychologist
• And last week we were joined by Yannis Lai: Physio
New Adventures
Taekwondo is a truly global sport, capturing the imagination of athletes from over 200 nations.
2025 saw the GBT team training in Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Suzhou (China), Ankara (Turkey), at the Hankuk club (Spain) and in Warsaw (Poland). The opportunity to train with athletes from around the world plays a crucial role in athlete development and preparation. We are grateful to these nations and teams for their friendship, collaboration, and commitment to developing excellence in Taekwondo.
2025 also saw GB Taekwondo teams competing globally, with World Taekwondo taking its major championships around the world, including two events in Africa (U21 World Championships in Nairobi and Women’s World Championships in Malabo).
To all those that supported us in the last year; to our strategic funding partners UK Sport and Sport England; to our training centre and event partner Manchester City Council; to our commercial partners, Hill Dickinson, Daedo, Opro and Castore; to our international friends and officials at World and European Taekwondo; and to British Taekwondo and the incredible community of coaches, instructors, referees and organisers who create opportunities for athletes in this great sport: Thank, you!
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