Some minor changes were made to competition rules at the WTF General Assembly in Tijuana, Mexico, on March 2, 2010.

According to a WTF news release,

The new rules stipulate that coaches shall not leave the 1 meter by 1 meter marked coach’s zone that indicates the position of the coach.

On the duration of the contest, the new rules stipulate that the duration of each round may be adjusted to 1 minute or 1 minute 30 seconds upon the decision of the technical delegate for the pertinent championships.

The revised rules will be posted on WTF.org and TKDrules.com when they become available.

The last major revision of sparring rules happened in early 2009, and included provisions for video replays and tiered scoring.

"Own the Podium" (OTP) is a Canadian sport program with the goal of improving the Canadian medal count at the Olympic Games. It recommends sports funding for appropriate usage based on which Canadian sports have high medal potential.

The vast majority of summer Olympic sports have not qualified for OTP funding. However, since 2008 Taekwondo has been qualified to receive substantial funding of nearly a half-million dollars annually. Taekwondo’s inclusion was based on the excellent performance of our athletes at the 2008 Olympics, and Taekwondo Canada’s 2008 High Performance Plan which outlined a strategy for achieving sustained excellence in Taekwondo sport.

All OTP funding for Taekwondo was withdrawn on March 10. This announcement came as a shock to many coaches and athletes across Canada who were depending on it for continued high-performance development. Budgeted items which depended on OTP funding included several international tournaments for selected athletes, regional and national team training camps, Integrated Support Teams (medical, sports psychology, nutrition, physical preparation, etc.), and other athlete services. Another significant consequence is the loss of salaries for national coaching staff and contract coaches.

Olivier Pineau is the current Taekwondo Canada Athlete Representative, who over two weeks ago sent a letter to Canadian athletes and coaches explaining the importance of OTP funding and the possibility of it being lost. He reflects on OTP’s recent decision:

I feel it is a sad day for Canadian Taekwondo, as this recent run of events will undoubtedly have huge repercussions on the development opportunities for elite athletes and coaches nationwide. I wonder how the leadership of Taekwondo Canada can even attempt to justify such a huge loss to its membership.

At the end of the day, it seems like we’re taking a step back to 15 or 20 years ago, when athletes had very little financial support or travel, training, and competition opportunities. This is in stark contrast to the brilliant performances of our key athletes, whose support will now be considerably diminished despite their remarkable performances.

I’m at a loss for words, when faced with the enormity of this loss. All I can hope for is that this will trigger true and significant reforms in Taekwondo Canada’s governance, thus paving the way for a brighter future down the road ….

OTP Director Anne Merklinger has confirmed that Taekwondo Canada may again qualify for funding in 2012, however the organization’s current management isn’t performing adequately. In order to be reinstated, Taekwondo Canada will be reconsidered in the same capacity as all other national sports organizations that currently aren’t receiving OTP support. She also confirmed that some individual Taekwondo athletes and their coaches may be eligible for funding if they qualify for the next Olympic Games, and if they are ranked in the top four at World Championships.

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