Overcoming challenges, Brazilian athlete shines at Taekwondo World Cup and achieves unprecedented feat for Brazil
Brazilian Henrique Marques made history this Monday morning (27) by winning the gold medal in the under-80kg category at the World Taekwondo Championship, marking the country’s first men’s title in the competition. The athlete’s gold adds to that of Maria Clara Pacheco, who won at the World Championships in Wuxi, China last Saturday (25).
Maria Clara’s victory ends Brazil’s 20-year run without world titles since Natália Falavigna’s triumph in Madrid in 2003.
Discover Henrique Marques’ journey to gold
At 21, Henrique reaches the highest point of his career, overcoming a period marked by challenges and uncertainties. In 2023 he was diagnosed with cardiac arrhythmia, underwent surgery and had to temporarily step away from the mats. The discovery of the health problem raised doubts about the continuity of his sporting career, causing him to miss the World Cup and the Pan American Games. However, after recovering, Henrique returned to the sport with an impressive performance, demonstrating resilience and determination.
In the decision, Henrique beat China’s Qizhang Xiang. He won the first round 2-1 and held the score at 0-0 in the second, a result which secured him the title.
On his way to the final, the Brazilian defeated Cuban Kelvin Calderón Martinez, Burkina Faso’s Faysal Sawadogo, North American CJ Nickolas and Artem Mytarev, who were competing under a neutral flag.
— I am very happy with this result and my performance on the pitch, very happy with everything that has happened in my life. We came out champions here and it’s all thanks to a lot of work. This was the first step and, God willing, there in Los Angeles in 2028 [Jogos Olímpicos]Let’s become champions too – said Henrique Marques, to SportTV.
An unprecedented feat for Brazil
Henrique Marques secured the gold, marking Brazil’s 25th medal in the history of the World Taekwondo Championships. In total, Brazil accumulates three gold, eight silver and 14 bronze medals. In 2025, the country celebrated an unprecedented feat: for the first time it won two gold medals in the same edition of the championship.
Source: Terra
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