City for Champions Location, Ed Robson Arena, to Host 2023 U.S. Open Taekwondo Hanmadang in July

The U.S. Open Taekwondo Hammadang, viewed as one of the largest and most prestigious Taekwondo events in the world, will take place at Ed Robson Arena on the campus of Colorado College on July 28-29, 2023. This Rocky Mountain State Games event allows young children, adults, and families to compete on an international stage. Athletes range in age from 4-90 with an anticipated range of 1,100-1,500 athletes from across the world, staying true to the Rocky Mountain State Games mission of having competition for all ages and skill levels.

Events will begin on Friday, July 28, 2023, with the Opening Ceremonies from 6:00-7:30pm, and a performance by the Shinhan University Korean Demonstration Team. Final competitions and events will wrap up on Saturday, July 29, 2023.

Grandmaster Sang Lee, founder of U.S. Taekwondo Center, established the center in 1986 in Colorado Springs, CO. He was the first U.S. Olympic Head Coach for Taekwondo for Team USA at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. In 1992, Grandmaster Lee created the U.S. Open Taekwondo Hanmadang held at the Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. At the time, it was the first Open Taekwondo Championships in the world.

“We are honored to bring this tournament to the Colorado College campus in downtown Colorado Springs. Colorado College has a world-class reputation for innovation and education and we are excited to use their state of the art arena which will provide our athletes and families an incredible experience.” said Master Jay Lee, Tournament Director.

"We are thrilled to host such a prestigious event in Robson Arena this summer," says Lesley Irvine, Vice President and Director of Athletics at Colorado College. "We know the venue will provide an incredible platform for the tournament and also provides significant exposure to the college and city. These types of partnerships point to the power and impact of the arena and it's wonderful to see that come to life."

The U.S. Open Taekwondo Hanmadang is hosted by the U.S. Taekwondo Committee, the leading organization for maintaining and growing traditional martial arts values and education in the United States, in partnership with 2020 Armor, a revolutionary sports technology company founded in 2016. This partnership will combine U.S. Taekwondo Committee’s expertise in martial arts training and values with 2020 Armor’s cutting-edge technology. The partnership between U.S. Taekwondo Committee and 2020 Armor will also bring a new dimension to competition at the 12^th annual U.S. Open Taekwondo Hanmadang July 28 and 29, 2023 at Ed Robson Arena in Colorado Springs, CO, Olympic City USA. 

Ed Robson Arena, part of the City for Champions initiative with the City of Colorado Springs and the home of the Colorado College Tiger hockey team, is also preparing to host the 2023 USA Weightlifting National Championships and 2023 World Jump Rope Championships this summer.