By Jo Hsuan Wu
OCA Young Reporter from Chinese Taipei
Toyohashi, Japan, October 3, 2026: Thailand’s Thitaree Kaewolanwasu overcame pain in her shin and pre-competition nerves to claim bronze in the women’s individual poomsae at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games.
The 21-year-old scored 9.0400 at Toyohashi Gymnasium to finish third, behind Korea’s Jung Haeun, who won gold with 9.3100, and the Philippines’ Jim Candelaria, who took silver with 9.1300.
For Kaewolanwasu, simply standing on the Asian Games podium carried extra meaning after she had been dealing with pain in her shin before the competition.
“I feel so good. I don’t know what to say, but I feel so good right now,” she said after securing her medal.
Kaewolanwasu admitted that the injury had made her nervous as the competition approached, but she tried not to let it change her mindset.
“I think I can do it, so I do,” she said.
She also entered the Games without putting the pressure of a medal target on herself.
“I didn’t plan anything. It’s just to do my best,” she said.
Kaewolanwasu has experience in both traditional and freestyle poomsae, two disciplines that demand different ways of expressing the foundations of taekwondo.
For traditional poomsae, she believes the basics remain at the heart of a strong performance, including standard movements, direction and power.
Freestyle adds another dimension.
“Jumping,” she said when asked what particularly separates freestyle from traditional poomsae, adding that power and energy are also important parts of the performance.
Despite their visual differences, Kaewolanwasu sees a common foundation between the two styles because both are built around poomsae movements and basic stances.
Asked which part of her own performance she was happiest with in Toyohashi, she did not hesitate.
“Maybe turning,” she said with a smile.
With an Asian Games bronze medal now added to her journey, Kaewolanwasu is already thinking about what comes next. Rather than focusing only on more difficult skills, she wants to continue improving the fundamentals behind them.
“I will practice more, practice more skills and practice basics more,” she said.