The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) recognizes USA Taekwondo (USAT) as the National Governing Body (NGB) for the sport of Taekwondo in the United States. A primary function of the NGB is to conduct national and international events in its sport.
Taekwondo and the Olympic Games
The object of Taekwondo is to land kicks and punches on your opponent’s scoring zones: one point is awarded for a valid kick or punch to the torso, two points for a valid spinning kick, three points for a valid kick to the head and four points for a turning kick to the head.
The action takes place inside an 8m x 8m zone called a court, with each contest made up of three two-minute rounds. Over their standard white uniform, known as a ‘Dobok’, competitors wear colored protective equipment. The competitor wearing blue is referred to as ‘Chung’, while the competitor in red is ‘Hong’.
Olympic Taekwondo, past and present
Taekwondo made its debut as a demonstration sport at the Seoul 1988 Games, but was not officially added to the Olympic programme until the Sydney 2000 Games. Since then, USA Taekwondo has earned eight Olympic medals-- two gold, two silver and four bronze.
Mailing Address: USA Taekwondo, One Olympic Plaza, Colorado Springs, CO 80909
National Office Phone Number: (719) 866-4632
National Office Fax Number: (719) 866-4642