Quartet deliver their nations first golds in Tashkent

The medals were shared on an exciting fourth day of the Tashkent 2026 World Taekwondo Junior Championships, with four countries winning their first gold medals in Tashkent. 

Mexico’s Guillermo Manuel Cortes Labastida began the finals with a sublime performance in the men’s -59kg weight category, and Kazakhstan’s Aiym Serikbayeva bounced back from losing the first round to take women’s -44kg gold. 

Russia’s Bashir Adzhiev achieved the same feat in the men’s -78kg, before the day was capped off by gold for Croatia’s Maja Srhoj in the women’s -68kg. 

Third title for Labastida

Two-time world cadet champion Cortes Labastida added the world junior title to his collection with an impressive victory against Korea’s Ji Woong Ha in the men’s -59kg final. 

He produced a fine comeback in the first round to win it 11-7, and then dominated proceedings in the second round to triumph by points gap and seal Mexico’s first gold medal in
Tashkent. Canada’s Zineddine Chebli and Tunisia’s Adam Hasnaoui took the bronze medals. 

Serikbayeva first winner from Kazakhstan

Serikbayeva denied Mexico a golden double on day four in Tashkent by overcoming Darah Shirley Ponce Núñez in an exhilarating women’s -44kg final. 

The high-scoring first round went 21-12 the way of Ponce Núñez, but Serikbayeva landed four head kicks without reply in the second to win by points gap and take the match to a decider. 

Ponce Núñez led the third round going into the final 15 seconds, but Serikbayeva finished with a flourish and prevailed 12-7 to earn Kazakhstan’s first gold in Tashkent. 

In doing so, Serikbayeva became Kazakhstan’s first-ever female Taekwondo world champion at junior or senior level. 

In the semi-finals, Serikbayeva overcame 2023 world cadet champion Petra Uglesic of Croatia, while on the other side of the draw Ponce Núñez defeated France’s Layna Bedouel. 

Adzhiev recovers from first round loss

Another 2023 world cadet champion added gold at the World Taekwondo Junior Championships in the men’s -78kg, as Adzhiev recovered from losing the first round to win the final against the USA’s Joshua Alade. 

Alade, a World Taekwondo Cadet Championships bronze medallist three years ago, took the first round 4-3 to lead the final. 

However, Adzhiev hit back and won the second round 11-9, before clinching the deciding third by points gap for Russia’s first gold medal in Tashkent. 

Chinese Taipei’s Ren You Yang and Korea’s Jun Won Jang earned bronze medals. 

Srhoj stays flawless

Croatia’s first gold in Tashkent came courtesy of Maja Srhoj, who triumphed without losing a round in the women’s -68kg weight category. 

Srhoj won the first round of the final against Serbia’s Ema Zećirović 3-1, then controlled the second to take it 12-3 and seal victory. 

Spain’s Paula Mora Dominguez and Russia’s Milana Abdulgalimova took bronze medals.

Day five of the Tashkent 2026 World Taekwondo Junior Championships will feature competition in the M -63kg and -68kg events, as well as the W -49kg.