LAST weekend four members of the Redhill Taekwon-Do School competed at the European Taekwon-Do Championships in Riccione, Italy.
Just under 600 competitors took part from 30 countries, making this the biggest European Taekwon-Do Championships in history. Daniel Lobley, Joshua Wadey, Tim Lobley and Tom Davies were all selected to represent England and they returned with a haul of medals.
Davies, 16, Tim Lobley, 16, and Wadey, 17, were part of the five-man team that won gold at the World Championships last October and they repeated the feat yet again, winning gold at the Euros for team pattern. The victory means they hold both world and European titles at the same time. Wadey also won an individual silver in his sparring category, winning five fights to get into the final, only to miss out to Ireland to take the silver.
Davies won an individual bronze for first-degree pattern, which was made even more special by the fact there were 55 competitors in this category. He had a mammoth task to get into the semi-final, where he lost out to the eventual winner from Poland.
Both Daniel and Tim Lobley won through large sparring categories to get into their respective quarter-finals but were edged out by eventual finalists.
They did, however, put in several top-class performances.
Finally, Daniel and Tim Lobley were part of the five-man team who smashed through boards to secure a bronze medal for the England team.
The team returned with a total medal haul of three golds, four silvers and three bronze to place them seventh overall out of the 30 countries competing.
Instructor Philip Lear said: "I'm very pleased with the results from my juniors, they are always very professional in the way they prepare for tournaments of this calibre and they continue the legacy of our club representing England at the highest level."
For details on starting Taekwon-Do in Redhill, please call 01892 610598 or visit www.vision-academy.co.uk
