Tai’an, China, March 17, 2024: Taekwondo athlete Donia Abu Talib became the first female from Saudi Arabia to qualify for this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris.
Talib’s success in the women’s -49kg class at the Asian qualification tournament in Tai’an, China on March 15-16 won her country a quota at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The achievement was celebrated by IOC Member and Saudi Ambassador to the United States HRH Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud, who posted on X: “Saudi Taekwondo national team member Donia Abu Talib is officially the first Saudi female athlete to qualify for the Olympics, she successfully competed in the Asian qualifying rounds for the Olympic Games!!! @saudiolympic.”
A total of 16 quotas in taekwondo for Paris 2024 were up for grabs. The finalists in each of the four men’s and four women’s weight divisions secured berths for their respective countries.
Hometown hero Song Zhaoxiang booked an Olympic berth in the men’s +80kg class alongside Iran’s Arian Salimi.
But there was heartache for Tokyo Olympian and three-time Southeast Asian Games gold medallist Kurt Barbosa who lost his semi-final bout to Samirkhon Ababakirov of Kazakhstan in the men’s -58kg. It will be the first time since London 2012 that the Philippines will not be represented in Olympic taekwondo.
Joining Ababakirov was compatriot Batyrkhan Toleugali (men’s -80kg), who clinched Kazakhstan’s second Olympic berth.
Uzbekistan also won two quotas with Ozoda Sobirjonova (women’s -67kg) and Jasur Jaysunov (men’s -80kg) triumphant.
Ali Reza Abbasi from the IOC Refugee Olympic Team and 2023 World Championships silver medallist Banlung Tubtimdang from Thailand qualified in the men’s -68kg.
The next continental qualifier will be held in Honoria, Solomon Islands on April 6. The winners of each weight category at the Oceania qualifiers will win quotas for Paris 2024.
Paris 2024 Olympic Asian quotas
Men
-58kg: Omar Hantouli (Palestine); Samirkhon Ababakirov (Kazakhstan).
-68kg: Banlung Tubtimdang (Thailand); Ali Reza Abbasi (Refugee Team).
-80kg: Jasur Jaysunov (Uzbekistan); Batyrkhan Toleugali (Kazakhstan).
+80kg: Song Zhaoxiang (China); Arian Salimi (Iran).
Women
-49kg: Mobina Nematzadeh (Iran); Donia Abu Talib (Saudi Arabia).
-57kg: Laetitia Aoun (Lebanon); Kim Yu-jin (Korea).
-67kg: Sasikarn Tongchan (Thailand); Ozoda Sobirjonova (Uzbekistan).
+67kg: Munira Abdusalomova (Tajikistan); Rama Abu Al-Rab (Jordan).
