– 21-year-old Caden Cunningham settled for a silver medal in Olympic taekwondo’s +80kg category, narrowly losing 2-1 to Iran’s Arian Salimi in his first Games appearance.
– Despite the loss, Cunningham is optimistic about his future in taekwondo.
– Cunningham’s silver medal continues Britain’s streak of winning an Olympic taekwondo medal at every Games since Athens 2004.
– Cunningham defeated tough competition in Paris, including Tokyo bronze medallist Rafael Alba and world champion Cheick Sallah Cisse en route to the final.
– Two-time Olympic bronze medallist Bianca Walkden sees Cunningham as the “future of the sport” due to his promising track record, including a gold at the European +87kg and silver at the Spanish Open.
– Despite a six-month lay-off due to injury, Cunningham’s determination and talent have earned him respect from his peers.
– Cunningham remains humble in defeat, expressing pride in his achievements and looks forward to celebrating with his family, possibly with a treat of KFC.
– Rebecca McGowan narrowly missed out on a medal in the +67kg category, despite a valiant effort, losing in the quarter-finals and then in the bronze-medal match.
– Both Cunningham and McGowan’s performances at the Olympics have been inspiring, despite narrowly missing out on medals.