The United States organized and dominated a high-level 2026 U.S. Open in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS, United States — The 2026 U.S. Open left a strong mark on the international Taekwondo calendar. The United States not only organized a large-scale, high-level competition in Las Vegas, but also won the Kyorugi G2 Senior medal count, consolidating a dual sporting and institutional message in a tournament that also included Poomsae, Freestyle, and Para Taekwondo, as well as categories such as Junior, Cadet, Ultra, and Tiger.
LAS VEGAS, United States — The 2026 U.S. Open left a strong mark on the international Taekwondo calendar. The United States not only organized a large-scale, high-level competition in Las Vegas, but also won the Kyorugi G2 Senior medal count, consolidating a dual sporting and institutional message in a tournament that also included Poomsae, Freestyle, and Para Taekwondo, as well as categories such as Junior, Cadet, Ultra, and Tiger.
From the perspective of MASTKD, which was on site providing coverage, the tournament showed volume, international prestige, and a staging befitting a major event on the World Taekwondo circuit. The organization, the depth of the competitive field, and the presence of delegations from nearly 100 countries confirmed that the U.S. Open remains one of the strongest platforms for global Taekwondo at a key moment for the United States on the road to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
The spotlight was on the Senior Kyorugi G2, which awarded 20 points for the World Taekwondo world and Olympic rankings and ended with the United States in first place in the medal count with 15 medals, followed by Brazil with 10. That final picture reinforced the strength of the local team, but also confirmed the continental weight of the Americas in a very high-level competition.
Steve McNally, CEO of USA Taekwondo, summed up the value of this edition to MASTKD with a resounding statement:
«This year’s U.S. Open in Las Vegas will be remembered as one of the best editions of the event in more than a decade. The excitement began with the announcement that Olympic legend Dae-Hoon Lee would be joining our program, and it continued through four extraordinary days of competition with one of the deepest and most talented fields we have ever hosted. With athletes from nearly 100 countries competing at an exceptional level, it was a great honor for the United States to finish first in the medal count against world-class opposition. I would also like to extend a special thank you to Juan Manuel López Delgado for his invaluable support before and throughout the event. It was wonderful to welcome so many Taekwondo friends from around the world to Las Vegas, and we look forward to seeing them again when the U.S. Open returns to Las Vegas in 2027.”
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For MASTKD, that view clearly reflects what the championship left behind: a solid organization, an event with a strong international presence, and a competitive level that once again positioned Las Vegas as one of the great hosts of Taekwondo events worldwide.
One of the strongest finals of the championship was in the men’s -80 kg divsion, where two internationally renowned names faced off. Carl Alan Nickolas Jr. (CJ), Pan American champion and world runner-up, made it to the final after beating Chile’s Joaquín Churchill in a tough semifinal. On the other side was Brazil’s Henrique Marques Rodrigues Fernandes, world champion in Wuxi 2025, who reached the final after defeating the US’s Isaiah Young. The gold ultimately went to the Brazilian, while CJ took silver in a division that raised the symbolic level of the tournament.
This clash between the United States and Brazil captured much of what the 2026 U.S. Open had to offer: an open tournament with real stars, deep brackets, and high-level matches. It was not just another final. It was a match between a world-class figure from USA Taekwondo and a rising Brazilian world champion, in a tournament that once again showed that Las Vegas continues to be a major venue for international taekwondo.
In addition, the tournament brought together several medalists with Olympic experience, a fact that further elevated the competitive value of the senior bracket. Carlos Sansores, silver in +87 kg in Las Vegas, competed in Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024; CJ Nickolas, silver in -80 kg, was an Olympian in Paris 2024; Farzad Mansouri, gold in -87 kg, competed in Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024; Leslie Soltero, gold in -67 kg, was an Olympian in Paris 2024; Milena Titoneli, bronze in -67 kg, competed in Tokyo 2020; and Crystal Weekes, gold in -73 kg, participated in Rio 2016. None of them arrived in Las Vegas with an Olympic medal, but they all brought top-level experience to the championship.
Poomsae also contributed significant content to the championship. Although it is not yet part of the official Olympic program, it is part of the international multisport map and already has a presence at different levels of the cycle, with participation in the Pan American Games, Asian Games, Southeast Asian Games, Central American and Caribbean Games, South American Games, and other highly relevant regional events. This reality makes any attempt to diminish its importance within modern Taekwondo increasingly unjustifiable.
At the 2026 U.S. Open, the divisions that best reflected this level were Freestyle Over 17, recognized Under 30, and recognized Under 40, for both men and women.
In Freestyle Over 17 men, Mexico’s William Arroyo won the gold medal, Korea’s Lee Chanmin took silver, and bronze went to Ecuador’s Mario Alejandro Troya Jiménez and Korea’s Park Se.Jung. In Women’s Freestyle Over 17, Guatemala’s Alejandra Higueros took gold, fellow Guatemalan Celia Lucía Icute won silver, and Americans Valentina Glines and Allison Deguzman completed the podium with bronze medals.
In the Men’s recognized Under 30 category, Sung Hyun Eric Gun of the United States took the top spot on the podium, followed by his American teammate Ryan Real, while the bronze medals went to Ho Yin Liu of Hong Kong, China, and William Arroyo of Mexico. In the Women’s recognized Under 30 category, Kaitlyn Marie Reclusado of the United States won gold, Alejandra Higueros of Guatemala took silver, and Fabiana Varillas of Peru and Nguyen Phan Khanh Han of Vietnam took bronze.
In the Men’s recognized Under 40, France’s Selgi Leblanc took gold, the United States’ Kevin Lu took silver, and the bronze medals went to Australia’s Minseung Choi and the United States’ Sean Jung. In the Women’s recognized Under 40, Vietnam’s Chau Tuyet Van won gold, Hong Kong, China’s Kong Lai Lee took silver, and the bronze medals went to Canada’s Fong Lui Lois and the United States’ Nathalie Peck.
For MASTKD, the editorial balance was clear: the United States not only organized well, but also delivered in the competition court. Brazil once again maintained its status as a continental powerhouse, and the 2026 U.S. Open left an impression of a robust, diverse event with real value within the WT circuit, both for Kyorugi and for Poomsae, which continues to consolidate its international standing.
Final Kyorugi G2 Senior medal table by country
- USA — 15 medals
- BRA — 10 medals
- MEX — 6 medals
- CAN — 6 medals
- JPN — 4 medals
- PUR — 3 medals
- HUN — 3 medals
- CHI — 3 medals
- AUS — 3 medals
- CRC — 2 medals
- ARG — 2 medals
- COL — 1 medal
- ECU — 1 medal
- TRT — 1 medal
- FRA — 1 medal
- VIE — 1 medal
- DEN — 1 medal
- ARU — 1 medal
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TKD: Taekwondo.
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