IvoryCoastTaekwondoChampionsHeadtoRio
象牙海岸跆拳道前往里约热内卢
Africancountriesmaybebest-knownfortheirtrackandfieldsuccessattheOlympics.ButinterestinAsianmartialartshasgrownonthecontinent.
Africannationsaresending50athletestoRiodeJaneiro,Braziltocompeteineventssuchastaekwondoandjudo.
ThreeofthoseathletesrepresentIvoryCoast.
AKoreanTaekwondoexpertintroducedtheexercisetoIvoryCoastinthe1960s.Itisnowapopularafter-schoolactivityforchildren.
IvorianTaekwondocompetitorRuthGbagbiwillbemakinghersecondOlympicsappearance.Shealsocompetedinthe2012LondonGamesbutlostbothhermatches.Sheis22andcompetesinthe67-kilogramdivision.
MaminaKonéandCheickCisséaretheothertwoIvoriantaekwondocompetitorsatthisyear’sgames.ItwillbetheirfirstOlympicexperience.
TaekwondobecameanOlympicsportin2000.OnlythreeAfricanshavewonmedalsintheevent.
IvoryCoasthasonemedalinitsOlympichistory.IvorianrunnerGabrielTiacohtookhomeasilvermedalin1984forhissecondplacefinishinthemen’s400-meterevent.
AllthreeofthetaekwondoathletesfromIvoryCoastwonmedalsinrecentAfricancompetitions.ThedirectoroftheIvoryCoastteamsaysthethreeathletesareonthesamelevelasthebestintheworld.
ThecompetitorssaytheyaresettinganexampleforthenextgenerationofIvorianathletes.
MoussaBerthéis13.Hehasbeendoingtaekwondoforfiveyears.
Hesayshelearned“discipline,respect,dignityandwisdom”fromhisteachers.
BerthéwillbewatchingthenationalteamcompeteinRio.
"Theyareexamplestofollowbecausetheyarechampions,andtheycomefromIvoryCoastsoitencouragesustocontinuetaekwondo,"hesaid.
ThetaekwondocompetitionbeginsinRioonAugust17.
I’mDanFriedell.
EmilieIobwrotethisstoryforVOANews.com.DanFriedelladapteditforLearningEnglish.CatyWeaverwastheeditor.
HowdoyouthinktheAfricanathleteswilldoattheOlympicsWewanttoknow.WritetousintheCommentsSectionoronourFacebookpage.
_______________________________________________________________
WordsinThisStory
martialarts–n.anyoneofseveralformsoffightingandself-defense(suchaskarateandjudo)thatarewidelypracticedassports
medal–n.apieceofmetaloftenintheformofacoinwithdesignsandwordsinhonorofaspecialevent,aperson,oranachievement
wisdom–n.knowledgethatisgainedbyhavingmanyexperiencesinlife
discipline–n.awayofbehavingthatshowsawillingnesstoobeyrulesororders
dignity–n.awayofappearingorbehavingthatsuggestsseriousnessandself-control
division–n.agroupofteamsorathletesinasectionofacompetition