Omar Gergely Salim, despite his age and being a novice among adults, is still one of the taekwondo favorites in Tokyo.Continue reading
Omar Salim won the world title in taekwondo in Guadalajara, Mexico on Sunday.
The 19-year-old competing in Hungarian colors scored five victories in the 54 kg category. He beat Mexico’s Cesar Rodriguez in the final, after defeating his opponents from Malaysia, Greece, the Philippines, and Taiwan in the semi-finals.
Omar Salim, who finished fifth in the 58kg category at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, is the first Hungarian male world champion in taekwondo. He also won Hungary’s first European title in 2021 and defended his title in the 54 kg category this spring. He lives and trains in Los Angeles, but in Hungary, he competes for the MTK team. His brother, Sharif Salim finished 9th in the 58kg category at the championship in Guadalajara. Their father, Gergely Salim, is also a world and European champion in taekwondo.
Featured photo via MTK.hu