Paris 2024: Doncaster taekwondo star Bradly Sinden Team GB Olympic gold medal hope

Bradly Sinden became the second male taekwondo competitior in Team GB history to win an Olympic medal after securing silver on his Games debut at Tokyo 2020.

But this time round, the 25-year-old from Stainforth is hoping to go one better and be crowned the globe’s very best.

Sinden fell to a 34-29 defeat against Uzbekistan's Ulugbek Rashitov in the men’s -68kg final as he settled for silver, following in the footsteps of two-time medallist Lutalo Muhammad.

He took up taekwondo as soon as he was old enough, having been introduced to the sport by his sister - and he’s not looked back since.

In 2019, after securing the -68kg world title, Sinden became the first British male to ever become taekwondo world champion.

At the 2023 European Games in Poland, Sinden picked up a second silver medal for Team GB in the men's -68kg, and will go for more glory in Paris this summer.

The taekwondo competition takes place between August 7 and 10, with full details of the schedule available HERE

He has already been named as one of seven British and Irish athletes to watch out for at this year’s Games by the Press Association.

The news agency said: “The Doncaster taekwondo star was disappointed with a silver medal in the men’s -68kg category in Tokyo and vowed to learn from his mistakes.

"He will return to Olympic competition with a second world title in the bag and as a strong favourite to finally make good on his lifelong ambition and turn that agonising silver into gold in the French capital.”

Three years ago in Tokyo, the then-21-year-old was eight seconds away from Olympic gold when his final opponent Rashitov caught him unawares with a kick to the head and the body to snatch the title and leave Sinden with a disappointing silver.

He will be following in the footsteps of Doncaster Olympian Sarah Stevenson, who became Team GB’s first Olympic medallist on the sport, winning bronze at Beijing in 2008.

She was chosen to read the athletes’ oath at the opening of the 2012 games in London, retiring in 2013.

A martial art that combines combat and self-defence with sport and exercise, the modern form of the sport was not agreed upon until 1955 - yet its history has roots in various Korean martial art forms dating back more than 2,000 years.

The sport has been part the Olympic programme since Sydney 2000, although was a display event during the two previous Games.

In 2012, Jade Jones became the country's first Olympic champion, and did so aged just 19, and she repeated that golden success at Rio 2016 in defending her title.

Lutalo Muhammad won bronze at London 2012 and then silver at Rio 2016 while Bianca Walkden took bronze in Brazil as three of Team GB's four athletes won medals at the Games.