The Rome Taekwondo Grand Prix returns to the Foro Italico Park. From June 9 to 11, 2023, the event that is part of the World Taekwondo "Grand Prix" circuit - the most important competition at the international level - will catalyze the attention of all fans.
This will be the fourth time that the Italian Taekwondo Federation will be involved in the organization of the kermesse. The eternal city, the Foro Italico, the side events (starting with the Demo Team performance in Piazza di Spagna) and last but not least the perfect organizational machine set up by the Italian Federation, have gradually made this event unique and irreplaceable in the international calendar.
In the inimitable setting of the "Nicola Pietrangeli" Stadium, the top 32 ranked athletes in each Olympic category will face each other, seeking those decisive points for qualification to the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The best, then, of world Taekwondo, on which the attention of technicians and media will be focused. In this regard, the FITA is pleased to welcome among the official media partners, alongside ANSA, Corriere dello Sport, and Italpress, which have renewed their commitment made last year, Radio Zeta. On the national frequencies of RTL 102.5 it will be possible to follow the race days, with appointments that will offer continuous updates on the results accompanied by interviews and trivia. Pills that will also find space on Radiovision, on Digital Terrestrial channel 36 and Sky channel 736, and in streaming on RTL 102.5 Play.
An event that will also be conveyed by the official social channels of the Federation, for years a reference point in the world of taekwondo. A community that moves millions of views each year on the dynamic content published that has allowed the FITA to be, to date, among the most followed Sports Federations in Italy and in the world.
As it has been in previous editions - 2018, 2019 and 2022 - this year again there will be no shortage of a real taekwondo village that will be the setting for the sporting event that has become a must-attend event for fans and those approaching the world of taekwondo for the first time with curiosity, as confirmed by the steady growth of the audience in the stands. The event is open to the public without limitation and totally free for anyone who wants to enjoy a spectacle of live sports, witnessing competition at the highest level.
Never more than in this circumstance is the blue team looking to play a leading role. There are 13 athletes summoned by technical director Claudio Nolano. Prominent among them are the names of Vito Dell'Aquila, gold in the -58kg at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and the 2022 World Championships, and Simone Alessio, the first Italian athlete in history to win a Grand Prix gold medal, just in last year's edition, who will present himself as number one in the ranking in the -80kg category. Among women no doubt once again the hopes are entrusted to Maristella Smiraglia who last year won a historic bronze medal. This time the hope is that, boosted by the warmth of the Forum audience, Giada Al Halwani, fresh from a silver medal at the Spanish Open in the -57kg category, can also play a leading role. Among the promising young Italians, eyes will be on Dennis Baretta, an athlete in the top ten of the world rankings and projected to reach the medal zone in the -68kg.
Concurrently with the Roma Grand Prix will take place the Kim & Liù, the world's largest tournament for young taekwondo athletes (ages 6-11). About 2,000 children, from all over Europe, will compete at the same time as their idols with the dream of winning their first medal.
The marriage of Olympic athletes and children is a situation that is rarely seen in sports but represents an excellence strongly desired by the President of the FITA, Angelo Cito, to highlight how grassroots and high-level sports are fundamental to each other.
This year, the village, created around the competition fields, will once again be the interactive soul centerpiece of the three days. Among the partners involved will be food & beverage companies and several dedicated e-sports stations manned by pro-players.
The opening ceremony will take place, on June 8, at the striking site of the Spanish Steps, which will be filled with art, culture and entertainment. All the beauty of taekwondo will shine through the Demo Team, the Federation's Humanitarian Foundation acrobatic team (THF Italia), which will thrill those present throughout the event through multiple performances with the aim of raising awareness of humanitarian issues by bringing an unambiguous message of peace.
The Rome Grand Prix aims to confirm expectations once again, creating an exciting event capable of enhancing the sporting discipline at the center of a unique sporting environment.