Xiao Xiang-wen on Thursday claimed Taiwan’s first medal at the Paralympic Games in Paris after winning bronze in the taekwondo men’s 58kg division.
Xiao missed out on the final after losing to top seed Asaf Yasur of Israel in the semi-finals 16-6, but still secured the team’s first medal by outkicking Joel Martin Villalobos of Spain 16-8.
Xiao said he lost confidence in the semi-final due to inadequate preparation and had initially thought his opponent’s electronic equipment was malfunctioning. However, he described the defeat as a hard awakening.
Photo: Reuters
“I realized the bottom line is I need to get myself well-prepared,” he said.
That mindset enabled him to give his all in the match against Villalobos.
“My mindset was to start from zero because it couldn’t get any worse. I just strived for the result I wanted,” he said.
In the quarter-final against Bopha Kong of France, Kong’s mouthguard fell out twice during a timeout. Xiao picked it up and helped Kong put it back on, as Kong was unable to do so himself.
Asked to comment on that interaction, 25-year-old Xiao said it was an example of sportsmanship.
Athletes help each other and share joy, regardless of the outcome, “because this is the Games,” he said.
Wu Yen-ni, who coaches Xiao, said she believes the medal would significantly boost Xiao’s confidence, especially after his dreams were shattered by a car accident.
Having practiced taekwondo since elementary school, Xiao lost the nerve plexus — function — in his right hand at age 21.
The injury left “a scar deep in his mind” and made him feel “down in every aspect of his life,” Wu said.
However, Wu said Xiao brightened up after being exposed to the Paralympics.
“I believe he has a great sense of achievement with the medal, and has learned that life is full of highs and lows. No matter what, he has come back to life through all the chances and hard work,” she said.
Finding his faith again, Xiao said the bronze medal is not the end and that he would aim for gold in Los Angeles in 2028.
“I must win it next time. Hopefully, it will be a shiny gold,” he said.
Meanwhile, Zakia Khudadadi made history by becoming the first athlete from the Refugee Paralympic Team to win a medal.
Khudadadi won bronze in the taekwondo women’s 47kg category after defeating Turkey’s Ekinci Nurcihan. When the final buzzer sounded at the Grand Palais, Khudadadi erupted in joy, throwing her helmet and mouthguard into the air.
“It was a surreal moment, my heart started racing when I realized I had won the bronze,” Khudadadi said, her voice shaking with emotion. “I went through so much to get here. This medal is for all the women of Afghanistan and all the refugees of the world. I hope that one day there will be peace in my country.”
Khudadadi, who was born without one forearm, began practicing taekwondo in secret at age 11 in a hidden gym in her hometown of Herat.
Originally blocked from competing following the rise of the Taliban in 2021, she was later evacuated from Afghanistan and was allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympics for her nation following a plea from the international community.
After the competition, she settled in Paris and was later offered the opportunity to compete with the refugee team at the Paralympics.
“This medal means everything to me, I will never forget that day,” Khudadadi said. “I won because of the great support I got from the crowd.”
The atmosphere in the Grand Palais was electric as the French crowd cheered her on as if she were one of their own.
Since fleeing Afghanistan, Khudadadi has been training at INSEP, France’s national institute of sport, in Paris with her French coach Haby Niare, a former taekwondo world champion.
“Zakia has been magical. I don’t know how else to put it,” Niare said, beaming with pride. “The training process has been challenging. She faced a lot of injuries and she had to learn a lot in a couple of years, but she never lost sight of her goal.”
Khudadadi received her medal from UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi and International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons.
“For the Refugee Paralympic Team, it’s super special, it’s super important,” Parsons said. “Zakia just showed to the world how good she is. It’s an incredible journey, it’s something that we should all learn about.”
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