The two-day 2016 Pan American Qualification Tournament for taekwondo concluded on 11 March in Aguascalientes, Mexico, qualifying 16 athletes for the upcoming 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The 16 taekwondo players came from 11 countries, and made it through out of an initial 85 athletes from 26 countries.
US players secured three places in the Rio Olympics: Steven López came on top in the under 80 kg men’s competitions, Paige McPherson in the under 67 kg’s women’s competitions, and Stephen Lambdin took silver in the over 80 kg men’s competitions.
The Dominican Republic also secured three places in the Olympics: Luis Pie was undefeated in the under 58 kg men’s competitions, Moisés Hernández snagged the silver medal in the under 80 kg men’s competitions, and Katherine Rodríguez won the above 67 kg women’s competitions.
Colombian Óscar Muñoz won the silver medal in the under 58 kg men’s competitions, while his compatriot Doris Patiño also won the silver medal in the under 57 kg women’s competitions, securing two places for Colombia.
Moreover, this year marked the first time for Aruba to qualify for the Olympics in taekwondo; Monica Pimentel earned a silver medal in the under 49 kg women’s competitions.
Melissa Pagnotta secured a place for Canada after taking the silver medal in the under 67 kg women’s competitions.
The remaining three male players who qualified for the Rio Olympics were Venezuela’s Edgar Contreras who won in the under 68 kg men’s competitions, Cuba’s Rafael Castillo in the over 80 kg men’s competitions, and Chile’s Ignacio Morales who took home the silver medal in the under 68 kg’s men competitions.
As for the remaining three female players, they were, Peru’s Julissa Diez Canseco who won the under 49 kg women’s competitions, Panama’s Carolena Carstens who came on top in the under 57 kg women’s competitions, and Puerto Rico’s Crystal Weekes in the over 67 kg women’s competitions.
