USA Taekwondo Announces New Event Series

A new series of elite-level events – which offer qualification points in the Olympic selection process – have been announced by USA Taekwondo.

The US Grand Slam Invitational Series competitions will be held at the US National Center of Excellence in Colorado Springs later this year.

The event for senior athletes is scheduled for September 27 to 29.

Taekwondo players who win gold and silver at the National Championships in Minnesota in June and July will earn automatic qualification for the tournament.

The top six athletes on the US rankings in each of the Olympic weight divisions will also feature.

The US Grand Slam Invitation Series event for cadets is set to take place from October 18 to 21, with the junior competition following on November 1 to 4.

"We’re already seeing the standards begin to rise dramatically across the sport due to the intense competition that has been taking place in the US and around the world, and the addition of these elite level events will satisfy the need to see the best in the US go head to head with each other in a new, meaningful and intense competition," said USA Taekwondo director of high performance May Spence.

"Along with the rebalancing and revision of the points system for 2020, and further exciting changes to be announced for 2020, we are becoming increasingly excited for the future of US taekwondo on the international stage, and the ultimate goal to dominate in 2028."