Moldovan couple Ion and Marika Ilescu won gold medals at the ITF Taekwon-Do World Cup in Uzbekistan, IPN reports.
In the competition, which involved 1,200 athletes from 20 countries, Moldova was represented by a team of four members: coach Alexei Tentiuc and athletes Adal-Otniel Tentiuc, Ion Ilescu and Marika Ilescu. Although the team was small, Ion and Marika managed to win the individual tulle events.
The road to the gold medal took 16 years. Ion Ilescu, 35, started his career in Taekwon-Do in 2008, in Telenești town. Since then, he has covered a road full of work, dedication and sacrifices, managing to win multiple medals at international competitions.
Ion Ilescu competed twice in the World Cup and twice in the World Championship. In 2015, at the World Cup in Minsk, he won two bronze medals in the Tulle 1 Dan and Sparing -50 kg events. At the 2019 World Championships, held in Sofia, Ion won a bronze medal in Tulle 2 Dan. In 2021, he returned to the World Cup in Minsk, where he won silver in Sparing -58 kg. In 2024, at the World Cup in Tashkent, he managed to win the coveted gold medal in Tulle, strengthening his position as a champion.
Marika Ilescu won the gold medal in the Tulle Individual 5 Dan event, in the 35-44 years age category. She started training 30 years ago, as a child, and continued even in the moments when she had to balance training with the responsibilities of being a mother of three boys.
"In January 2024 I resumed intense training, preparing for the European Championship in April. In recent months, I have dedicated daily time to training, to reach the desired performance," Marika said.
Ion and Marika competed in the technical tulle event, veterans category, with advanced level belts (III and IV Dan for Ion and V Dan for Marika).
The victory of the Ilescu couple at the World Cup confirms the value of the Moldovan Taekwon-Do team. Ion and Marika dedicated these medals to all those who supported them, from coaches and friends to supporters who contributed financially and morally.
The ITF Taekwon-Do World Cup is an annual competition that precedes the national and European stages and selects the best athletes for the World Championship, held every two years. The 2024 edition of the Taekwon-Do World Cup takes place during November 1-8 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
