Three Yorkton athletes attended the 2018 Canadian National Taekwondo Championships in Ottawa over the weekend.
Two of the athletes returned with medals.
Matthew Bodnaryk was one of the athletes, as well as a coach. He explained that to qualify for the national event, held in Ottawa, athletes attended a number of local events, and competed at the provincial level before being selected to the Saskatchewan team.
“There were only three athletes,” he said, adding one referee, and Wayne Mitchell from the city as national president made the trip.
“At that level (nationals), you have to be really prepared, to have the commitment,” he said, as explanation for the small Saskatchewan contingent.
In Bodnaryk’s case, he competed in the under-40, for ages 30-to-40, poomsae, or forms division.
“It’s a set of kicks, stances, techniques … everybody does,” he explained.
Seven judges circle the ring scoring on a number of elements such as the height of kicks, the power exhibited, the stances and balance shown.
“I got bronze. I went last year and got third then, too,” said Bodnaryk. “… I was two points away from first place so it was a small margin.”
Bodnaryk said looking at his performance, and listening to the judges, moving forward he needs to work on the rhythm of his patterns.
“Some (elements) are very quick, some parts are slowed down,” he said, adding his tempo was just off.
Kallie Buenneke competed as a 14-year-old in sparring, capturing a silver.
“She took silver last year as well,” said Bodnaryk as her coach.
In her second fight she “point-gaped” her opponent, causing the fight to be stopped by officials.
The third fight “was a very close match in the final, she lost out by only five-points,” said Bodnaryk. He said in a fight coming down to five points it boils down to “the other girl kicked her two more times than she (Buenneke), did.”
Bodnaryk said at only 14, Buenneke has a bright future in the sport. She will move up to the 15-17 year category next year, and he expects her to grow through that division to a very possible gold medal in the next couple of years.
Daniel Bazin was in his last year in the junior division, one of the most competitive in the competition, said Bodnaryk.
Bazin was in six bouts or six minutes each one day, and came close to the medals with his last fight “going back and forth. It just didn’t turn in his favour at the end.”
Next up for local taekwondo competitors will be the 20th annual Prairie Wildfire competition to be held at the Nexera Flexihall the last weekend of April.
