Performance Pathway Program

ONE WEEKEND. THREE MAJOR EVENTS.

This November, Australian Taekwondo’s Performance Pathway brings together athletes and coaches from across the country for a weekend dedicated to competition, education and development.

Friday 6 November

Interactive Face-to-Face Coaching Education Conference

A practical and engaging coaching conference designed to share knowledge, challenge ideas and continue raising the standard of coaching across Australian Taekwondo.



Saturday 7 November

Pathway Fight Series Final

After three qualifying events, only the Top 4 ranked Black Belt athletes in each Cadet, Junior and Senior division (based on the National Ranking System as at 1 September 2026) will earn their place in the Final to determine the 2026 Pathway Fight Series Champions.

Sunday 8 November

Pathway Fight Festival

The opportunity continues with a competition for Coloured Belts & Black Belts across Youth, Cadet, Junior and Senior divisions, providing meaningful competition experience and supporting long-term athlete development.

Whitlam Leisure Centre - 90A Memorial Avenue, Liverpool NSW

The senior campaign concludes with another encouraging performance from our Australian athletes at the Kim Un-yong Cup Korea, highlighting the continued progress of the Australian Taekwondo Performance Pathway on the international stage.

Every international event provides valuable learning opportunities, benchmark performances, and the chance to measure ourselves against world-class opposition. These experiences are critical in preparing athletes for future major championships and ensuring we continue to raise the standard of Australian Taekwondo.

🥈 Silver
• Akon Baak

🥉 Bronze
• Jobe Stewart
• Chelsea Gomez
• Rose Abela
• Taye Ragheb

Congratulations to all of our athletes on their performances, and to the clubs and coaches whose ongoing commitment to high-performance development continues to strengthen the future of Australian Taekwondo.
“High performance is built on consistency, not moments. Every international campaign gives us valuable information, exposes the standards required to win, and helps shape athletes capable of performing when it matters most. Our focus remains on building a system that produces sustainable success at the highest level.”

— Ali Khalil
Australian Taekwondo Performance Pathway Lead

The junior campaign wraps up with another strong performance from our Australian athletes at the Kimunyong cup Korea, continuing to demonstrate that sustained investment in athlete development is delivering results. One step at a time, the Australian Taekwondo Performance Pathway continues to build.

🥇 Gold
• Mackenzie Macdonald
• Samantha Blewitt
• Riley Harper

🥈 Silver
• Maysa Khalil
• Bilal Atay
• Nikolas Stroskas

🥉 Bronze
• Decima Boon
• Chloe Spencer
• Josh Sow

Congratulations to all of our athletes on their performances, and to the clubs and coaches whose ongoing commitment to developing athletes continues to strengthen the future of Australian Taekwondo.

Success at this level is built through consistent work, quality coaching, and long-term athlete development. These results are another positive step forward and a reflection of the collective effort being invested across the country to build the next generation of Australian representatives.

“We’re proud of these performances, but even more proud of the process behind them. The commitment shown by our athletes, clubs, and coaches is laying the foundations for sustained international success. We’re building something that will last and we’re doing it one step at a time.”

— Ali Khalil, Australian Taekwondo Performance Pathway Lead

Bronze for Leo Angell at the Chuncheon Korean Open! 🇦🇺

A fantastic performance from Leo, representing the Fighting Futures Performance Pathway Program, to claim a bronze medal against quality international opposition.

This result reflects the commitment, discipline and high performance standards that continue to drive his development. Every performance on the international stage is another step forward.

Congratulations, Leo. The journey continues. 👊

Our Fighting Futures and Extended Performance Pathway athletes from across Australia have now departed for Korea to commence a targeted international training and competition campaign.
This tour is an important component of the Australian Taekwondo Performance Pathway, providing athletes with exposure to world-class training environments and high-level international competition. These experiences are essential in preparing athletes for future benchmark events and the demands of Olympic performance.
Performance Pathway Lead Ali Khalil said:
“International success is built through consistent exposure to world class environments. Korea provides our athletes with the opportunity to train and compete against some of the best in the sport, challenge their current standards, and continue progressing towards the level required for sustained international success.”
We wish the team safe travels and look forward to following their progress over the coming weeks.

Bronze for Evie Ruffle at the Gangwon Chuncheon 2026 World Para Taekwondo Open Challenge!

What an incredible international debut for Evie Ruffle, claiming Bronze in the K44 +65kg division and securing Australia’s second Para medal of the tournament.

Evie’s journey to the podium included:
🥋 Quarter Final: Defeated Brazil’s world No. 10, winning 2–1.
🥋 Semi Final: Faced Russia’s world No. 5, a Paralympian and recent GP Roma G6 Silver Medallist, going down 0–2 in a hard-fought contest. The opening round was decided by the narrowest of margins, with Evie losing on hits after a draw, before another closely contested second round.

To step onto the world stage at her first official G4 international event, earn a bronze medal, and immediately move into the top 30 of the World Rankings is an outstanding achievement and a sign of what’s to come.

A special congratulations to Coach Jessica Borg, whose hard work and dedication, under the guidance of GMA Queensland has helped lay the foundation for this fantastic result.

Congratulations, Evie! The future is incredibly bright. 🇦🇺🥋👏

RoadToLA2028 AustralianTaekwondo PerformancePathway

An outstanding performance from Shrijana Ghising at the Gangwon Chuncheon 2026 World Para Taekwondo Open Challenge, claiming the Silver Medal in the K44 Under 47kg division.

On her way to the final, Shrijana defeated:
🇦🇿 Round of 16 – Azerbaijan world # 20
🇹🇷 Quarter Final – Turkey world # 5
🇧🇷 Semi Final – Brazil World Ranked #11

She then faced the World Ranked #3 athlete from 🇹🇭 Thailand in a hard-fought final to finish with a well deserved Silver Medal.

Defeating three higher-ranked international athletes on the way to the podium is a fantastic achievement and another step forward on the world stage.

Congratulations, Shrijana and Coach Jerry Moraitis, The future is incredibly bright.

ParaTaekwondo SilverMedallist TeamAustralia AustralianTaekwondo RoadToLA2028 Gangwon2026 Chuncheon2026

Registrations are now OPEN for AUS TKD Pathway Fight Series 3!
Youth Olympic Games Selection Event | Junior Female -49kg
🔗 Link in bio.

🚨 REFEREE EOI NOW OPEN 🚨

Referees are invited to register their interest for the AUS TKD Pathway Fight Series 3 on 29 August 2026 at the Melbourne Sports & Athletics Centre.

This event will also serve as the Youth Olympic Games Selection Event for the Junior Female -49kg Division.

📍 Melbourne Sports & Athletics Centre
📅 29 August 2026
📲 Scan the QR code to submit your EOI

We look forward to welcoming referees from across Australia to another high-level Pathway event.

YouthOlympics Kyorugi RefereeLife MelbourneTaekwondo NationalRankingSeries AUSTKDPathwayProgram