Aino was very successful in Latvian competitions. The team congratulates! Below is Aino's father Justus' race report:
Aino Kortelainen represented Taekwondo athletes as the only Finn at the Baltic OlympicTaekwondo Cup tournament held in Venstspils, Latvia, on May Day 2016. Aino's career began in the girls -29 kg (b. 2007-2008) series with a 5-1 victory over the representative of Latvia's Musado. In this match, Aino scored for the first time in his tournament career with a back spin kick, which cost the coach-sponsor father one Oreo shake. Marila Sheremet from Russia's Baltic Federation of Korean Martial Arts club competed in the series final. Although Aino dominated the match, the Russian took 3 points with a clean back kick in the third set when Aino was pressing. The final result of the match was 0-3, and thus the victory of the series for the Russian. For Aino to take home a silver medal and a lesson that even a defensive technique ("only" even if the armor is hit) can produce 3 points and turn the course of the match in an instant.
In the upper weight category (girls-32 kg born in 2007-2008), Aino faced Vladislava Mochalina of Latvia's Hansu Sport Club in the first round. The actual Match Time ended in a 1-1 tie, but in overtime Aino controlled his nerves nicely and took the win with a clear majority of points. In the final, the opponent was a familiar girl, Karina Voloshina from Latvia's TAE-FUN, to whom Aino narrowly lost 2-0 at the Riga Open in the fall of 2015. The fight was again tight and even, after the end of the third set, the scoreboard showed 2-3 in favor of Karina. So another silver medal for Aino.
Last matches Aino competed in the -29 kg girls' (born 2005-2006) series with head contact. In the qualifying match, Aino took a 3-0 lead in the first set, but in the second set, Latvian Amanda Troshchenko made it 3-2. In the third set, Aino tolerated the nervous pressure brought by the tight situation much better than his father, and won 3-2 after a scoreless last set. In the final, Aino faced Ljubova Saharenkova (LAT Hansu sport club). At the end of the first period, the Latvian was awarded three points for a header, but Aino signaled to his father, who was sitting on the coach's bench with his eyes closed, that the kick hit his shoulder. Card up and points off! Children, communicate with your coaches and parents, not forgetting friends! However, Ljubova canceled out the points right at the beginning of the second set with a sharp roundhouse kick to the temple. In the final match, the Latvian chased Ainoa around the field, but due to strict hand interference and active movement, the rest of the match remained scoreless. However, the third silver medal with a score of 0-3 can be considered quite a fight win against a fighter who is only one and a half heads taller.
On the way home, Aino left with six matches - three wins and three losses - and three silver medals worse. We did not notify the customs authorities of these imports. The most important lesson of the tournament was that the same oxygen-rich air is breathed in the Baltics as in Russia and in the regions around Konalan!
