Following the record-breaking 2024 edition in Hong Kong, China, there will be a further increase in the number of athletes competing at the Chuncheon 2026 World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships. A total of 1,411 athletes from 83 countries plus the Taekwondo Refugee Team have registered for the 14th edition of the Championships.
The Championships will take place from September 16-20 at the Air Dome, Songam Sports Town, in Chuncheon, Korea, marking the latest major milestone for a discipline which continues to grow around the world.
They include Diego Di Mattia in the Under-30 Male Individual event, which will make him the first athlete to represent the Vatican City at a World Taekwondo-promoted championship.
The Taekwondo Refugee Team includes Marwah Almahmoud Alsheikh from the Azraq Refugee Camp in Jordan. She will compete in the Female Cadet category, and recently medalled at the prestigious Kim & Liù Tournament in Rome. Belal Eed from the Zaatari Refugee Camp will compete in the Under 30 Male Individual category.
“Chuncheon 2026 will be a landmark edition of the World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships, with more athletes and more nations competing than ever before. This growth is a testament to how far Poomsae has come, and to its power to unite people from every corner of the world,” World Taekwondo President Dr Chungwon Choue said.
“We are delighted to be returning to Korea for this year’s edition, and we look forward to seeing the athletes thrive in an outstanding competition environment.”
Korea hosted the inaugural World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in Seoul in 2006, and has since held it in Incheon in 2007 and Goyang in 2022, the first World Taekwondo event following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Chuncheon 2026 marks the 14th edition of the Championships, featuring 42 medal events across Recognised, Freestyle, Individual, Pair and Team formats.
Alongside the competition, a World Taekwondo Council Extraordinary meeting will be held on September 15, while a Peace Walk will take place on September 17.
