World Cup bronze for Dusard
Published:Sunday | September 30, 2018 | 12:00 AMAinsley Walters/Gleaner Writer
Nicholas Dusard won bronze on Friday's third day of the seventh International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) World Cup, which ended in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday with Jamaica securing three medals - two bronze and a junior silver - the country's best-ever showing at an ITF world tournament on foreign soil.
Dusard's bronze, his first individual ITF world medal, saw him battling his way past Argentina's Lautaro Colsani, Canadians Luke Johnston and Aaron Almassy, and Argentina's Federico Pita before losing his semi-final bout to Poland's Kamil Dobrowolski.
The Jamaican star ploughed through rivals, but his inactivity, sidelined by studies, got the better of the Pan-Am gold medallist after four bouts of world-class competition.
"The World Cup was great. I am okay with the result, though we came to win gold. It didn't play out to plan. There were some issues, I think, in the ring with the judges, what they were looking for versus what we were doing.
GOOD ENOUGH RETURN
"I think my preparation wasn't exactly what I wanted it to be. It could have been a lot better. I had some time away just before the competition, and that probably affected me a little bit. All in all, I think it was a good enough return. I am now looking forward to bigger and better things," Dusard said, hinting at what could be a shot at next year's ITF World Championships in Germany, in addition to his stated ambitions of going pro in kickboxing.
Dusard's Kingston Taekwon-Do Centre teammate, Ackeem Lawrence, won bronze in -57.0 kg sparring on Wednesday. He was joined by Jade Dewar, 16, from Mandeville Taekwon-Do and Mount St Joseph Catholic High, who copped a junior silver on Wednesday's second day at the Quaycentre in Sydney's Olympic Park.
However, ITF world tournaments, especially on foreign soil, continue to be the Achilles heel of the Jamaicans, who paid a heavy price for what Jason McKay termed "the excessive contact rules of the ITF" after Olympian Kenneth Edwards was disqualified, enraging the Jamaican coach, who drew a warning for demonstrating anger at a decision by the officials.
A simmered McKay said the three medals won "represented one of the better showings for Jamaica at the World Cup", adding that Dusard proved himself to be one of the most successful fighters from the Caribbean, challenged only by teammate Edwards.
Jamaica hosted the 2014 ITF World Cup at the Montego Bay Convention Centre and tallied 46 medals - 17 gold, 14 silver and 15 bronze - including the marquee senior male team-sparring event.