Taekwondo is a spiritual sport, emphasizing discipline and respect above all else. It looks like someone forgot to tell Cuba’s Angel Matos. Unfortunately this video isn’t in English, but the footage is so spectacular I had to share it anyway.
Angel was hurt and taking his one minute of injury time. The rules clearly state you are to get up and be ready to fight at the conclusion of the minute, or you lose. Despite the 10-second warning, Angel didn’t get up.
When the bronze medal match was then awarded to Arman Chilmanov of Kazakhstan, Angel saw red. He took out his frustrations on the ref, delivering a swift head kick!
If the ref was his opponent, the move would have earned Angel two points. Instead he scored a lifetime ban.
In any sport this kind of behavior is shocking. In taekwondo it’s almost unthinkable.
