Truesdale delighted to be back on top after claiming African title

Tokyo 2021

Amy Truesdale believes she is back to her best after putting her World Para Taekwondo Championship disappointment behind her to claim gold at the African Para Open Championships.

The 30-year-old defeated reigning European gold medallist Aynur Mammadova 14-11 in the final of the K34 +58kg category to top the podium in Hurghada, Egypt.

It was the perfect response from Truesdale after she missed out on her third world title, with the 2014 and 2017 champion losing her quarter-final in Turkey to Japan’s Shoko Ota.

And Truesdale, who also defeated her successor as world champion – Brazil’s Debora Menezes – in her semi-final in Egypt, admitted the triumph was a much-needed morale booster.

“Because of my result at the Worlds in Turkey it was important for me to get back on the mat and back into winning ways,” she said.

“I came up against some good competitors and I was really pleased my training paid off. I just felt it’s where I should be. I am glad to be back on it and hopefully it will continue.

This was another goal I hadn’t achieved so it was great to tick it off the list.

Amy Truesdale

“I am pleased to get the gold because usually when I have been to these competitions in Africa before I’ve got into the final and ended up with silver.

“This was another goal I hadn’t achieved so it was great to tick it off the list.”

Truesdale completed her stay in the Middle East with another honour, after she was awarded ‘Best Female Athlete’ at the tournament for her crowd-pleasing performances.

“I was really shocked,” she said. “There were a lot of people watching so I wanted to put on a good performance.

“And it is extra special because my coach (Andrew Deer) has just been crowned coach of the year.”

Truesdale travelled to Hurghada with Welsh teammate Matt Bush, who was still on a high after his recent World Para Taekwondo Championship heavyweight title success.

Bush, who clinched victory in the +75kg final in Turkey earlier this month, was unable to repeat the feat in Egypt though as he went down in the quarter-finals to Russia’s Aliskhab Ramazanov.

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