TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Hsiao Hsiang-wen (蕭翔文) won bronze in taekwondo on Thursday (Aug. 29) marking Taiwan's first medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
The 25-year-old taekwondo athlete took the bronze medal in the Men's K44 58kg category, defeating his Spanish opponent with a score of 16-8, per Liberty Times. His victory soon drew praise from President Lai Ching-te (賴清德).
Last year, Hsiao competed in the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou with a wild card entry and won the gold medal in the Men's K44 58kg division. In Paris, Hsiao was seeded fifth, defeating Afghanistan's Ebrahim Danish 37-7 in the round of 16 and then overcoming French veteran Bopha Kong 22-1 to advance to the semifinals.

In the semifinals, Hsiao faced off against two-time world champion Asaf Yasur from Israel and was defeated 6-16, missing out on a spot in the gold medal match.
In the bronze medal match, Hsiao faced 20-year-old Spanish athlete Joel Martin Villalobos. It started as a back-and-forth battle, before Hsiao pulled ahead after a 6-6 tie, scoring 8 consecutive points to widen the gap and ultimately securing the victory with a final score of 16-8.
Capping off a successful debut at the Paralympics, Hsiao proudly waved at the crowd from the podium, celebrating his achievement. After the match, he and his coach, Wu Yen-ni (吳燕妮), took a victory lap around the venue with Taiwan's Paralympic flag.

Hsiao expressed gratitude to Wu, who he considers his mentor, for her guidance and support and set his sights on the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics, hoping to achieve his dream of winning gold.
In a tweet posted on Friday (Aug. 30), Lai congratulated Hsiao for securing Team Taiwan's first medal at the Paris Paralympics. Lai described Hsiao's effort as a “remarkable debut for this true sportsman” and said all of Taiwan's athletes in Paris “fill us with pride.”



