A highly-ranked young Portuguese taekwondo fighter suffered an unexpected first-round exit at the World Championships in China, while a lower-ranked compatriot advanced further in his category.
Kiara Barroso, ranked eighth globally in the -46 kg division, was defeated by Aidana Kumartayeva of Kazakhstan, who holds the 56th world ranking. The match, which took place on Monday in the Round of 64, concluded with a 2-0 score. Barroso turned 18 earlier this month.
In contrast, Manuel Martinho, ranked 275th worldwide in the men’s -80 kg category, progressed to the Round of 16. Martinho ultimately lost 2-0 to Iran’s Mehran Barkhordari, who is ranked 13th globally.
Earlier in the competition, Martinho secured a 2-1 victory against Colombian Miguel Trejos Salas, the 38th-ranked athlete in the world. The Taekwondo World Championships are currently being held in Wuxi, China.