Sarah Stevenson facts for kids
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| Full name | Sarah Diana Stevenson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 30 March 1983 Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England |
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Medal record
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Sarah Diana Stevenson is a famous British taekwondo athlete. She was born on March 30, 1983.
Sarah made history by winning Great Britain's first ever Olympic medal in taekwondo. This was a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Games. It was her third time competing in the Olympics for her country.
She became a world champion in taekwondo in 2001. Later, in 2011, she won the world championship again.
Sarah was chosen to compete in the London 2012 Games. She even took the Olympic Oath at the opening ceremony, representing all the athletes. After the 2012 Olympics, Sarah decided to stop competing. She then started a new role as a coach for the Great Britain taekwondo team.
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Sarah's Early Life
Sarah Stevenson grew up in Doncaster, England. She went to the Don Valley High School. Sarah started learning taekwondo when she was just 7 years old.
Sarah's Amazing Career
Sarah's taekwondo journey began with a big win. She became the Junior World Champion in 1998. In 2000, she earned a spot in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. She competed in the Women's 67 kg category.
Her early success caught the eye of famous martial arts movie star Jackie Chan. He even sponsored her for a while! At the 2000 Olympics, Sarah reached the semifinals but did not win a medal. The next year, she became a world champion in 2001. She was the first British Taekwondo World Champion ever!
At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Sarah competed again. She trained hard at Sportcity in Manchester. She was also a member of the Allstars Taekwondo Academy in Doncaster. Her coach was Master Gary Sykes.
The 2008 Olympics and a Big Decision
The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing brought a lot of excitement and a bit of drama for Sarah. In her quarterfinal match, there was a judging "error." The judges did not give Sarah two points for a high-kick to her opponent's head. These points would have put her in the lead with only 10 seconds left.
After the match, the British team protested right away. They watched video of the kick, and the judges agreed to change the result! Sarah was then able to move on to the semifinal. This was a very important moment for fair play in sports.
In the semifinal, Sarah lost her match and also twisted her ankle. But she didn't give up! She went on to compete for the bronze medal. She won this match, earning Great Britain's first ever Olympic medal in taekwondo.
The tournament director explained the decision to change the result:
"The competition supervisory board has looked into this matter deeply, has made video analysis which has been open to all the referees and judges. In applying paragraph two of page 64 of the competition rules of the World Taekwondo Federation we have to change this result and we have to declare the British player as winner. We are very sorry to the spectators of China but justice is first. Thank you for understanding."
Because of this event, people started thinking about using electronic scoring in taekwondo. This would help make sure judging is always fair.
The 2012 Olympics and Beyond
At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Sarah Stevenson had a very special role. She was chosen to take the Olympic Oath on behalf of all the athletes. This is a huge honor!
In her competition, Sarah lost in the first round. Even though she had a tough time with injuries leading up to the Games, she still showed amazing spirit.
In 2013, Sarah announced she was retiring from competing. She then became a coach for the Great Britain taekwondo team. She now helps new athletes achieve their dreams.
Sarah's Top Achievements
- 2011 World Taekwondo Championships: Gold Medal
- 2010 European Championships: Gold Medal
- 2009 British Open International: Gold Medal
- 2008 Summer Olympics: Bronze Medal
- 2006 Commonwealth Taekwondo Championships: Gold Medal
- 2005 World Taekwondo Championships: Silver Medal
- 2005 European Championships: Gold Medal
- 2004 European Championships: Gold Medal
- 2001 World Taekwondo Championships: Gold Medal
Sarah's Personal Life
Sarah Stevenson was recognized for her amazing contributions to martial arts. She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2012. This is a special award from the Queen of England.
In January 2014, Sarah received another honor. She was made a Freeman of her hometown, Doncaster. This shows how much her community respects her.
See also
In Spanish: Sarah Stevenson para niños
