The international Grand Prix circuit heads to France for four days of competition at the Palais des Sports Marcel-Cerdan. The program opens on Thursday, October 8, with Para Taekwondo, followed by competition across the eight Olympic Kyorugi weight categories from Friday, October 9, through Sunday, October 11.

The venue is located in Levallois-Perret, a municipality bordering northwestern Paris and forming part of its metropolitan area. This location gives the event its Paris-Levallois name.

A Circuit for International Elite Athletes

The Grand Prix Series brings together leading international Kyorugi athletes through World Taekwondo’s selection system. Entry is not open to any athlete wishing to register: places are allocated through the Olympic rankings, Grand Prix Challenge results and host-country quotas.

The standing procedures provide for 32 places per weight category, allowing a field of 256 athletes across the eight divisions. This is the allocated capacity, rather than a confirmed number of participants.

Ranking-based preregistration is available to the top 70 athletes in each division, but registering does not guarantee selection. World Taekwondo determines the selected athletes and waiting lists, which allow withdrawals to be replaced. The host country also receives one invitation per weight category.

Eight Olympic Weight Categories

Unlike the senior World Championships, which feature 16 weight divisions, the Grand Prix uses the eight Olympic categories, with four men’s and four women’s events:

• Men: -58 kg, -68 kg, -80 kg and +80 kg.
• Women: -49 kg, -57 kg, -67 kg and +67 kg.

This format concentrates competition in the weight categories contested at the Olympic Games. These entry provisions apply to Kyorugi; the Para Taekwondo Grand Prix has its own selection system and categories.

From Rome and Muju to Paris, with Astana Awaiting

The season began in Rome, Italy, where the Kyorugi Grand Prix took place from June 5 to 7, preceded by Para Taekwondo competition on June 4.

The second leg brought the circuit to Taekwondowon in Muju, Republic of Korea, with Para Taekwondo on September 4 and Kyorugi competition from September 5 to 7.

Paris will host the third and final Series event before the scheduled Grand Prix Final in Astana, Kazakhstan, which was also selected to stage the World Taekwondo Gala Awards. The 2026 circuit thus connects Italy, Korea and France before its conclusion in Kazakhstan.

The Paris-Levallois Competition Schedule

Thursday, October 8, will be dedicated to the Para Taekwondo Grand Prix. The Kyorugi events will follow this schedule:

• Friday, October 9: Women’s +67 kg, men’s -58 kg and men’s +80 kg.
• Saturday, October 10: Women’s -57 kg, women’s -67 kg and men’s -68 kg.
• Sunday, October 11: Women’s -49 kg and men’s -80 kg.

Each of the three Kyorugi competition days will include preliminary rounds and medal contests.

France Prepares to Compete on Home Soil

The French Taekwondo and Associated Disciplines Federation announced its Taekwondo and Para Taekwondo selections on September 18. According to the federation, selection for the Olympic weight categories followed the criteria established in its national selection process.

The host team’s performance will be among the storylines to follow as the third leg builds on the competition in Rome and Muju, with the Astana Final on the horizon and the road to Los Angeles 2028 providing the broader sporting context.

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