26th June 2023

Caden Cunningham boosted Team GB’s gold medal tally at the European Games in Poland and at the same time extended GB Taekwondo’s record-breaking Games’ performance.

The rising Huddersfield prospect won both opening rounds to beat North Macedonian athlete Dejan Georgievski in the +87 kg final.

Cunningham, a recent winner at the World Grand Prix in Rome, made it five medals for the Manchester-trained squad with Jade Jones claiming gold, Bradly Sinden, silver plus bronze medals for Maddison Moore and Aaliyah Powell. Eight years ago, GB Taekwondo competitors won three medals at the European Games in Azerbaijan.

“It feels amazing to win this for Team GB,” said the 20-year-old Yorkshire fighter. “It means everything.

“They have given me a lot of opportunities. It is only right for me to make use of those and get the gold.

“This is something I’ve been working towards for a while,” added Cunningham who reached his latest final with a 2-0 success against Pasco Bozik of Croatia.

“I have known my level, I’m back from injury now – two competitions in a row, two golds, and I don’t intend for that to change.”

Three-time world champion Bianca Walkden narrowly missed a podium place in the women’s heavyweight competition.

The Liverpool star lost 2-0 in her battle for bronze with Bulgaria’s Kalina Boyadzhieva having earlier suffered a semi-final defeat against Poland’s former European champion, Aleksandra Kowalczuk.

Rebecca McGowan, competing in her third competition in three weeks, missed out on a third successive medal.

The Dumbarton fighter reached the quarter-finals in the -73kg category but was forced to withdraw from her bout due to injury.