Go Go Chloe – Roberts Says Double Gold is Reward for Hard Work
28th August 2022
Chloe Roberts strikes gold twice in three days.
BALTIC belter Chloe Roberts struck double gold for GB Taekwondo at the European Club Championship and Tallinn Open in Estonia.
Teammate Catherine Makanjuola and Manchester-trained, Afghanistan-born, Farzad Mansouri also achieved two podium finishes in three days.
“It feels amazing to come home with two gold medals,” said former kickboxer Roberts from Stoke on Trent after her two victories at -67kg.
“I am incredibly proud of myself because the past two months have been challenging, coming up against good fighters at our training camps in South Korea and Croatia.
“To come here and see that hard work pay off is an amazing feeling.
You just must give everything you have everyday. Your 100 percent might look different from day to day.
“However, if you have a dream, working hard is the only way to make it a reality. It is not always easy, but it is worth every minute of the success.”
GB girls on the podium (L2R) Morgan Curtis, Chloe Roberts, Phoenix Goodman and Catherine Makanjuola.
Roberts defeated Norway’s Mari Nilsen 9-1 in the Euro Club final and followed up with a 10-7 success over the same athlete 48 hours later.
Mansouri marked his return to action last Friday by taking the -74kg crown and then added silver in the Tallinn Open at -80kg.
Londoner Makanjuola upgraded her Euro bronze to Tallinn silver alongside Morgan Curtis from Darlington at +73kg. There was gold also for development squad athlete Phoenix Goodman.
Mansouri has trained alongside GB fighters since arriving in the UK back in May.
He competed at the European Championships under refugee status in the same month but hadn’t fought until his Euro Club outing.
Opposing Mansouri for the top spot on the podium was Eduard Drewlau but the German was brushed aside 10-3.
In the Tallinn Open, Mansouri stepped up to -80kg and only missed the top spot after a 20-18 defeat to South Korean, Geon-woo Seo.
Londoner Makanjuola lost 14-6 against Germany’s Ela Aydin in the Euro semi-finals at -49kg category before hitting back to finish runner-up against Spain’s Adriana Cerezo Iglesias.
“I feel extremely happy I have medalled again,” said Makanjuola. “I feel like my journey has finally started and all my hard work is paying off.
“My parents are very proud; mum hasn’t stopped going on about how I have done this weekend. So, I want to continue making them proud.
“It has been a tough year but having this success makes me want to keep pushing.
“Hopefully, now I can get selected for the Grand Prix in Manchester as a wild card pick.”
Olympian, Farzad Mansouri with his medal at the Tallinn Open.
Curtis opposed Hannah Keck in the heavyweight final and was level at 10-all going into the third and final round.
Keck eventually came out on top but knew she had been in a tough match against the promising Brit.
Fighting at the lowest weight of -46kg Goodman from Southampton struck gold beating Michelle Tau of Lesotho 24-9.
“It’s been a surreal experience travelling/competing alongside the GB squad and I’m very grateful to have been given the opportunity.
It’s also great to have come away from my first trip as a senior with a medal. I didn’t put much pressure on myself throughout the day, enjoyed the competition and stayed positive – which I found really benefited me.”
