Press releases

30 Sep 2024

Belarus’ Vitko claims gold at Taekwondo Albania Open 2024

An archive photo

MINSK, 30 September (BelTA) - Belarusian athletes won four medals at the Taekwondo Albania Open 2024, BelTA has learned.

Team Belarus comprised five athletes (three males and two females) at the international competition in Tirana. Yulia Vitko claimed gold in the women’s 57kg. The Belarusian knocked out Mariya Sevostyanova from Kazakhstan in the first round, Elisa Al Halwani from Italy in the quarterfinal, France’ Estelle Causse in the semifinal, and Spain’s Judit Ordonez in the final.

Valeriya Smychkova also reached the final in the 62kg. On her way to the decisive bout the Belarusian defeated Irene Martinez from Spain and Andrea Komatina from Montenegro, but lost to Canada’s Leonarda Endrik in the final.

Georgiy Gurtsiev (58 kg), a participant of the 2024 Paris Olympics, defeated representatives of Cyprus, France and Italy, but withdrew from the semifinal to finally place third.

Artsiom Plonis (87 kg) also clinched bronze at the event. The Belarusian proved stronger against the athletes from Italy and France in preliminary bouts, but lost to Macedonia’s Dejan Georgievski in the semifinal. Maksim Bandarevich (68kg) finished his run in the second round.