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We were able to start Friday evening’s event at the Grand Palais, which was once again packed, and the first Hungarian Taekwondo Olympic medal had been determined, the only question being its material – more precisely, the outer coating, which is about 6 grams – Martin Viviana and Alexander Perisic conflict.
He lives in Spain – But the Hungarian taekwondo athlete, who has been a UTE athlete since February, won two extremely competitive matches to reach the semi-finals. First, the two-time Olympic bronze medalist Ivory Coast Ruth Babbitt, Then there are the Americans Christina Tichotot He surpassed his past in all three rounds.
One of the toughest opponents among the four, No. 1 seed, last year’s Grand Prix champion, 2022 world champion Sarah Charry What awaited him was that he advanced from the previous round with only one clear blow in two rounds. Marton was very brave in the battle against an opponent who was almost a head taller than him and who had clearly more starts than him, but despite this the Belgian managed to take the lead (0-2) thanks to a body kick. However, Marton, who participated in the Olympic Games for the first time, turned the situation around and eventually won the first round. The second one was also to the Belgian’s taste for a long time, although there were favorites everywhere. In the end, thanks to a last-second move, our U21 world champion also turned the situation around and entered the final of the night with a total score of 2:0.
Finally I saw that I still had a chance to kick from below, luckily I kicked high enough
“After the semi-final, Marton told MTI that he won the sympathy of the audience at the beginning of the game, and at the end of the game, the Hungarian teenager cheered for a long time to express his gratitude for this wonderful game. .
The final was originally scheduled to start at 9:19 pm, but the start time was significantly later than that, and they were called to the court to face Perisic, who had only lost one round in the entire Olympics. The taekwondo player, who won the silver medal in the World Championships two years ago and finished fourth in the 2023 Grand Prix Series Finals, has the same or even higher prestige as the World Cup and is considered a candidate for the final. But Marton had repeatedly overruled the opposition during the day, and this time he no longer looked embarrassed as soon as he stepped into the pasture.
In fact, to be honest, just seeing him come in gave me a good feeling. As he left the gallery of the Grand Palace and walked towards the arena, his smile was wide and his gestures were even wider, waving casually to the audience. There was a sense of liberation and joy in every movement of Marton, and I couldn’t avoid asking the question: what would happen if a person came to an Olympic final for the first time with such joy, without any external signs or burdens or psychological pressure? ? On the other hand, the Serb’s body language was completely different, maybe he was carrying the weight of the opportunity, maybe he was carrying something else on his shoulders, in short, even his posture was completely different from his opponent. Four years younger than him.
In the first two minutes, the two tried to kick with their bodies, but failed, but with one minute left, the 18-year-old Hungarian teenager took a 3-0 advantage with a precise header. They further increased their advantage (5-0) with a body shot 11 seconds before the end of the game. The Serbian also tried to kick with his head in a semi-expanded position, and when he raised the sole of his foot, he almost caused a reaction from the scorpion, but according to the decision confirmed by the video, he did not kick Marton in the head. As the challenge failed, the score became 6-0, and the two were also warned because they left the field and walked towards the coach before the signal for the end of the march was given. (7–1).
It seemed clear who the French crowd wanted to promote, as each of the Hungarian players’ shots was met with stormy applause, while the relief that followed the Serbian player’s evaded kicks could be more clearly discerned.
Maton started the second round with good defense, but after more than 45 seconds he was hit by the Serbian in the body, thus taking the lead (0-2). However, the UTE fighter reversed the situation with two body kicks in half a minute. (4–2), Therefore, gold seemed far away from us. With 20 seconds left, the two hugged each other, and the Serbian made a crazy attempt and scored with a header, but Marton bent over again and again, thus stretching the remaining time and winning the final. (2:0)!
“It was a perfect final – Marton began his assessment with a big smile in the interview corridor of the Grand Palace, after being congratulated by Hungarian journalists. – On this day and in each match, I just focused on going forward step by step, knowing that if I do this, in the end, I will have the chance to fulfill my biggest dream. We are here and I still can’t believe we did it. I hope that no one wakes me up for a long time!”
Regarding his easy entry into the final, he said he wanted to enjoy every moment of the Olympics and the fortunate situation of performing in front of the largest audience of his career so far.
“When you reach the final, most of the burden is lifted off. I wanted to live and enjoy every moment of the day in front of such a large audience. The whole competition was a great experience, as was the entry itself. However, that doesn’t mean I didn’t want to win at all costs,” he added.
Regarding the final, he expressed his joy that he was able to exert his physical and mental strength so well, while his Serbian opponent could not cope with his strengths. He recalled that in the hours between the semi-final and the final, he had only a healthy tension in his heart: taking advantage of the break, he slept for a while after a foot massage before being called to the court. He also stressed the role played by his twin sister Luana in the success.
“My brother helps me a lot, before every match he tells me to be strong, fast, always focused and to know that I am the best. I am able to share these moments with her, it is special, it is our dream since we were little”, says the 18-year-old taekwondo athlete, who also whispers that, although she really likes her mother’s traditional post-match menu, fried meat and mashed potatoes, this time you will definitely celebrate with a delicious burger. A family lunch can only follow.
Márton Viviana won the first Olympic medal for Hungarian Taekwondo – our best result so far was two fifth places in Pasht.
“I hope I have inspired many little girls and boys to try Taekwondo now. I am proud that so many people watched my struggles throughout the day and that so many Hungarians cheered for me. I would be happy if I could contribute to the promotion of my sport because it is a very good sport,” said the UTE athlete.
Marton’s gold medal also became the fifth gold medal won by the Hungarian delegation in the Paris Olympics. Overall, this is the 188th time Hungary has won first place in the history of the Olympics.
So, who is Marton Viviana? You can read the portrait of our new Olympic champion here.
Olympia, Paris 2024
Taekwondo, Women’s 67kg, Final
Marton Viviana – Aleksandar Perisic (Serbia) 2:0 (7-1, 4-2)
(MTI/index)
(Cover photo: Viviana Márton andAlexandra Perisic. Photo: Tingshu Wang/Reuters )
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