Yohandri Granado obtained the fourth Olympic diploma for Venezuela in Paris 2024 (+Photos)

Yohandri Granado achieved his Olympic diploma in tae kwon do in Paris 2024 / Photos: COV Press

Yohandri Granado obtained the fourth Olympic diploma for the Venezuelan delegation, after occupying the seventh position in the -58 kilogram (kg) category of the men’s branch in the tae kwon do tournament of the Paris 2024 Games.

The Creole reached the step after participating in a play-off, which served to define the first eight positions, that is, the steps that gave access to the prestigious certification.

The martial arts event of the great universal meeting took place at the Grand Palais in France, a venue used for combat sports competitions.

Path of the athlete

To earn the award, the athlete competed in two events, but in neither of them was he able to taste the “sweetness of victory.”

In his debut in the competition, he lost 2-0 to South Korean Tae-Joon Park in the round of 16 and had to wait a few hours to find out whether or not he would participate in the re-estate, something that finally happened.

The Venezuelan taekwondo athlete performed at the Grand Palais in France

As Park was able to advance to the final rounds, the possibility of fighting again opened up for Granado and in the repechage he lost 2-0 to Frenchman Cyrian Ravet. That loss prevented the native from moving on to a battle for the bronze medal, an award that the French fighter did win.

Privilege for the athlete

Granado, a 24-year-old who sealed his ticket to Paris 2024 during a qualifying event held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, joined a privileged group of representatives from the Birthplace of Liberator Simón Bolívar with a diploma in the current global event, where no member of the national team has yet been able to climb onto the podium in any discipline.

Before the taekwondo, the men’s epee team – made up of Grabiel Lugo together with the brothers Jesús, Francisco and Rubén Limardo – was awarded a recognition in fencing after finishing seventh in the table, while Rosa Rodríguez was awarded one in athletics, by finishing eighth in the women’s hammer throw.

Raiber Rodríguez also brought home a document endorsed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), thanks to his fifth place in the 60 kg division of men’s Greco-Roman wrestling.

Valencia / Joseph Ñambre