The Taekwondo World Junior Championships got underway in Hammamet, Tunisia today ©World Taekwondo

South Korea took the main honours on the opening day of the World Taekwondo Junior Championships in Tunisia, taking two of the four golds on offer at La Salle Couverte in Hammamet, with Britain and Iran claiming the others.

The Championships took place amidst international controversy given the late ban by a Tunisian court on four Israeli competitors taking part - something which World Taekwondo said it "deeply regrets".

Kim Jin-ho, second seed in the men's under-48 kilograms, earned the first South Korean victory over surprise finalist Gorkem Polat of Turkey, ranked just 53rd.

La Salle Couverte in Hammamet hosted the first day of the World Taewondo Junior Championships today, with South Korea getting two of the four golds on offer ©World Taekwondo
La Salle Couverte in Hammamet hosted the first day of the World Taewondo Junior Championships today, with South Korea getting two of the four golds on offer ©World Taekwondo

And his team-mate Kang Mi-Reu, the ninth seed, was gold medallist in the women's under-42kg, defeating Turkey's 11th-seeded Emine Gogebakan in her final. 

The other golds on the night went to Britain's Jordyn Smith, who won the women's under-44kg category, and Iran's Hossein Lotfi, who secured gold in the men's under-45kg class.

Smith, seeded six, defeated Thailand's Chu Jongkolrattanawattana in her final, with bronze going to Croatia's Lena Stojkovic and Anastasiia Artamanova of Russia.

Lotfi overcame Uzbekistan's Amirbek Turaev in his final, with bronzes going to India's Kanha Mainali and South Korea's Lee Jang-Hoe.

Bronze medals in the men's under-48kg went to Russia's Dmitrii Shishko and Peerakit Tharanantaseth of Thailand.

Larisa Medvedeva of Russia and Mobina Kalivand of Iran took bronze in the women’s under-42kg.