Skylar Park Wins Bronze for Canada in Taekwondo at Paris 2024

It’s been quite a journey for Canadian taekwondo athlete Skylar Park as she made her mark at the Paris 2024 Olympics, bringing home a bronze medal in the women’s 57kg category. The 25-year-old accomplished this remarkable feat on Thursday, marking the first Olympic taekwondo medal for Canada in 16 years.

Skylar shared her joy, saying, “It’s an honour. I was just telling my dad and my team, I don’t think it’s fully sunken in yet. But when that final buzzer went off, it was just pure joy and gratitude for what we’ve been through as a team and my family.” Her father, Jae Park, who is also her coach, was there every step of the way to support her.

With a family rooted in taekwondo—boasting 16 black belts among them—Skylar entered the competition with high hopes of claiming gold. However, she faced a stunning environment at the Grand Palais, saying it was a big and beautiful arena with a huge crowd, something she wasn’t entirely used to in taekwondo.

Despite a shaky start, Skylar moved through the Round of 16 with a win against Dominika Hronova from Czechia, securing a 2-0 victory. She felt confident going into her quarterfinal matchup against South Korea’s Kim Yujin, where her father’s words, “win as a team, lose as a team,” resonated with her.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned when she lost the quarterfinal match, which dashed her gold medal dreams. But there was still a chance; if her opponent won the semifinal, Skylar could get a shot at bronze through the repechage.

<p“After the quarterfinal loss, I reconnected with my family in the stands and sat in my mom's arms while we watched that semifinal,” Skylar recounted. Luckily, Kim Yujin won, allowing Skylar another opportunity to compete for the bronze medal.

Focused and determined, Skylar defeated Hatice Kübra İlgün of Turkey in the repechage round, followed by another win in the bronze medal match against Laetitia Aoun of Lebanon, clinching her medal with a score of 2-0.

<p“It’s been a long day,” Skylar said, reflecting on her emotional rollercoaster from excitement to disappointment, and ultimately, to triumph. Though she wrapped up the day on a high note, she remembered the support from her dad, who simply told her, “I’m proud of you.”