Students Take Home Two Gold Medals in a Taekwondo Tournament Takedown

Two Loughborough College martial artists have returned home with gold medals after striking displays at the Taekwondo Belgian Open.

Olympic silver medallist and College alumna Lauren Williams, 23, won gold in the Women’s 73kg division, dominating France’s Bintou Diakate in the final of the fiercely contested competition.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old BTEC Diploma Level 3 Sport student Caden, claimed victory over Spain’s Raul Garcia Martinez in the final of the Men’s 87kg division to win gold.

Matt Dixon, Elite and Professional Sport Lecturer at Loughborough College, said: “The talent that these two have is beyond incredible and I am so proud of their dedication and perseverance to the sport.

“Achievements like these don’t come easy and it is clear to see their love of taekwondo when they compete against top international athletes.

“Caden and Lauren are a great asset to the GB Taekwondo team and we will continue to cheer them on in their upcoming competitions.”

Fleet-footed Caden has built a solid reputation in the sport over the last 12 months and recently bagged silver in the 87kg division at the Sofia Open in Bulgaria.

Tough Lauren, kickboxer turned taekwondo master, earned silver at Tokyo 2020 and has continued to win medals across European competitions.