A record 391 athletes representing 58 countries, along with the World Taekwondo Refugee Team, will compete in China from August 28–30. The entry list includes Olympic champions, world champions and several leading international stars.

A total of 391 athletes from 58 countries, plus the World Taekwondo Refugee Team, have registered to compete across the eight women’s weight categories: -46kg, -49kg, -53kg, -57kg, -62kg, -67kg, -73kg and +73kg.

The figure represents a significant increase from the 188 athletes who competed at the previous edition in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, in 2025.

Olympic and world champions lead the field

The entry list features some of the most prominent names in international Taekwondo, led by Hungary’s Viviana Márton, the Paris 2024 Olympic champion and Roma 2026 Grand Prix gold medallist.

She will be joined by her sister, Luana Márton, who claimed the -67kg world title at the Wuxi 2025 World Taekwondo Championships.

Korea’s Yujin Kim, also an Olympic gold medallist at Paris 2024, is among the leading athletes registered for the event. Belgium’s Sarah Chaâri, named World Taekwondo Female Athlete of the Year in 2025 and reigning -73kg world champion, will also compete in Taiyuan.

Türkiye will be represented by a powerful contingent that includes Nafia Kuş Aydın and Emine Gögebakan, both gold medallists at the Wuxi 2025 World Championships.

Other notable entries include Côte d’Ivoire’s Kimi Laurene Ossin, winner of the +67kg division at the Roma 2026 Grand Prix, and Russia’s Alisa Angelova, who secured the -49kg title at the same event.

Russia’s Milana Bekulova, Tunisia’s Wafa Masghouni, Morocco’s Amina Dehhaoui and Türkiye’s Sude Yaren Uzuncadavar will also arrive in China aiming to build on their recent international success.

Taiyuan returns to the international stage

This will be the third edition of the World Taekwondo Women’s Open Championships, following the inaugural competition held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2022 and the 2025 edition in Malabo.

Taiyuan already has experience hosting major international Taekwondo events after staging a World Taekwondo Grand Prix in 2023.

The opening ceremony will include a special exhibition by the World Taekwondo Demonstration Team.

With a record number of participants and a field featuring Olympic and world champions, Taiyuan 2026 is set to mark a new milestone for the World Taekwondo Women’s Open Championships.

About The Author