Universiade: First gold goes to Denmark as Sandersen triumphs in taekwondo

With a Danish flag wrapped around her shoulders, taekwondo athlete Eva Eun-Kyung Sandersen raced around the venue Thursday after claiming the first gold of the Rhine-Ruhr World University Games in the women's individual poomsae with a score of 8.732.

A nine-time World Poomsae medalist and 11-time European champion, Sandersen dominated the final with refined technique and precise coordination, finishing ahead of South Korea's Jung Haeun. Kaitlyn Marie Reclusado of the United States and China's Pan Meijing shared bronze.

"I feel so relieved," said Sandersen, pausing to catch her breath in a post-match interview. "I'm really happy and proud of my trainer and everything we've worked for. I can finally tell them that we did something great together."

Despite having stood on many podiums before, the gold at the University Games held special significance for the 24-year-old.

"I've practiced taekwondo for about 15 years. The sport is my whole life - it's everything I think about. This gold medal means so much to me."

This marked Sandersen's first and last appearance at the Universiade. She had hoped to make her debut two years ago in China's Chengdu, but a last-minute injury ended those plans.

"I was supposed to go to Chengdu, but I injured my knee just one month before, due to intense training over a long period," she said, becoming emotional. "It was a tough time, and it was hard to recover both physically and mentally."

Born to South Korean parents and raised in Denmark, Sandersen wasn't introduced to taekwondo right away.

"My sports journey actually started with ballet," she said. "But my mom suggested I try taekwondo because of our Korean heritage."

After a decorated career that spans both continental and global success, Sandersen now hopes to combine her two passions: sport and science.

"I'm a student majoring in pharmacy, and ideally I'd love to find a way to blend pharmacy with sports. I want to promote taekwondo around the world and show people how beautiful it is."

She also shared a personal dream: to one day see her discipline recognized at the Olympic level.

"I know individual poomsae isn't currently part of the Olympic program, so I may never get the chance to compete at the Olympics," she said. "But I really hope it will be included one day, and if it is, I'll definitely fight for that glory."