Panipak Wongpattanakit Defeats Dunya Ali Abutaleb in Women's -49kg Taekwondo Quarterfinal

On August 7, 2024, the Women's -49kg quarterfinal at the Paris Olympics showcased an electrifying match between Thailand's Panipak Wongpattanakit and Saudi Arabia's Dunya Ali Abutaleb. The event, held at the iconic Grand Palais, saw Wongpattanakit, ranked number 1, face off against the 9th seed, Abutaleb.

The match commenced with a strong start from Wongpattanakit, who quickly demonstrated her dominance by scoring 4 points within the first round. Abutaleb, attempting to counter, managed to score only 1 point in that period. As the first round concluded with a score of 4-1 in favor of Wongpattanakit, the Thai athlete continued to build momentum in the second round.

In the second round, Wongpattanakit's prowess was undeniable. She scored an impressive 13 points, further solidifying her lead, while Abutaleb struggled to keep up, only managing to score 2 points. Ultimately, the match ended with Wongpattanakit winning decisively with a total score of 17-3, propelling her into the semifinals of the competition.

The match was overseen by a skilled officiating team including referee Ksenija Levai from Serbia and judges Susana Boyd Diaz from Panama and Agnieszka Scheffler from Poland. Wongpattanakit's victory not only highlighted her exceptional taekwondo skills but also her status as a top contender for the Olympic gold medal in this discipline.

As the tournament progresses, Wongpattanakit will be a name to watch as she aims for Olympic glory in Paris. The Women's -49kg event is heating up, and the next rounds promise to deliver even more thrilling action!