China’s Mengyu Zhang won her first Grand Prix gold since 2018 in the women's under-67kg class at the World Taekwondo event in Paris ©Getty Images

Asia ruled on day two of the Paris 2023 World Taekwondo Grand Prix as Uzbekistan, China and Iran won the three gold medals available.

Uzbekistan’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Ulugbek Rashitov added another gold to the one he won at the recent Rome 2023 World Taekwondo Grand Prix in the men’s under-68 kilograms category. 

China’s Mengyu Zhang won her first Grand Prix gold since 2018 after a final against her compatriot Jie Song in the women’s under-67kg class, where the medals were presented by former United Nations secretary general and current IOC Ethics Commission chair Ban-ki Moon.

Iran’s Mehran Barkhordari, who came into the tournament having won one Grand Prix silver in his career, upgraded that with his first gold in the men’s under-80kg category.

The event, which will conclude tomorrow is taking place in the Palais des Sports Marcel-Cerdan in Levallois-Perret, five kilometres north-east of the Grand Palais, where the Paris 2024 Olympics competition is due to take place from August 7 to 10 2024.

Ban ki-Moon, left, watches action at the World Taekwondo Grand Prix in Paris alongside World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue ©World Taekwondo
Ban ki-Moon, left, watches action at the World Taekwondo Grand Prix in Paris alongside World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue ©World Taekwondo

Rashitov and Brazil’s Edival Pontes contested the first final of the night, with the Uzbekistan fighter taking the first round 5-1 before taking an irresistible 13-0 lead in the second round.

Rashitov faced Croatia’s Mark Golubic in the semi-final, while Pontes overcame Jordan’s Zaid Alhalawani.

In her final, Zhang was up against Chinese compatriot Song Jie, winner at the Rome Grand Prix.

Fifteen seconds from the end of a level first round Song landed two head kicks to take a 6-0 lead.

Zhang retaliated with a head kick of her own but lost the round 6-3.

In winning the round, however, Song had picked up an injury which forced her to withdraw, leaving Zhang with gold.

Song had fought France’s world champion Magda Wiet Henin in the semi-final and prevailed despite the enthusiastic support for the home fighter,

Zhang beat South Korea’s former youth world champion Hyo Rim Hong in the second of the semi-finals.

Action from the men's under-80kg category at the World Taekwondo Paris Grand Prix, won by Iran's Mehran Barkhordari ©World Taekwondo
Action from the men's under-80kg category at the World Taekwondo Paris Grand Prix, won by Iran's Mehran Barkhordari ©World Taekwondo

Barkhordari faced Greece’s Apostolos Telikostoglou in the men’s under-80kg final, and won a combative opening round 8-6.

But the Greek fighter, 7-0 down in the second round, rallied to the point where he won it 10-7 with 10 seconds remaining.

Barkhordari responded in ideal fashion, however, claiming gold with a 12-0 win in the decider.

Telikostoglou had reached the final with a 2-1 win over Turkey’s Muhammed Emin Yildiz.

In the second semi-final Barkhordari fought the United States’ world silver medallist Carl Alan Nickolas, winning 2-0.