Aaron Cook | British to Moldovan Taekwondo Star | Trans World Sport

Taekwondo star Aaron Cook was World No.1 when he was controversially omitted from British team for the London 2012 Olympics. Trans World Sport caught up with Aaron as he prepared for the Rio 2016 Olympics to find out more about his journey to the Games, now representing Moldova.
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[@sundanceuk]

Scored a few points on this kid at Dorchester TKD around 1999/2000. It helped that he was only about four feet tall at the time... Best of luck this week, Aaron. Everyone who knows your story knows that you deserve it.

[@joshcrawford4076]

Me too! Did you train with Nic Bale? It's Josh Crawford, don't know if you will remember me.. about Aaron's age

[@davidrodriguez894]

Moldova had backed Cook in the hope that he would secure them a first-ever Olympic gold medal, but the three-time European champion was eliminated in his first match at the Rio 2016 Games. Damn thats rough.....

[@juantamad3496]

And luttalo got a silver for gbr😶

[@s87cgn93]

Legend

[@EgillPlays]

Im icelandic and i went twice in a camp with him the 2 one was with Bianca

[@johnseb5856]

it sucks how tkd doesnt pay. like wtf. only 2 tkd world tournaments pay, mexico and one in korea. even naska pays, very little, but at least they pay...

[@davidrodriguez894]

I know right, a sport practiced by millions on the planet. so shitty.

[@lucasdiaz8161]

excelente competidor el mejor dle mundo

[@grayalun]

This guy got shafted by politics, how he could be left out when he was world number 1 is ridiculous. The fact the setup still insists it was the correct decision and made for the right reasons is ridiculous.

[@rasmusjohansson7819]

best

[@kevinhoughton9134]

Why was he omitted from the UK team if he was so good? Anyway, he shouldn't have defected to another country, why Moldova? Politics seems to have even gotten into amateur sports now, he is not Moldovan, just as Greg Ruzedski in Tennis was never British. I'm wondering ( Niavely ) if money has crept in at this level. The root of all evil. What was he hoping to achieve by this rash move?

[@XAE_A_Xii]

he is actually one of the top fighters in the World, despite all the politics within UK federation. when your country doesn't give you a deserved place, you say fuck off and carry on. in his situation moldova was a way out. at the end of day, every fighter fight first for himself/herself, then family, then country. in is place i would not be fussy about which country i should represent if my own doesn't want medals.

[@XAE_A_Xii]

when i say one of the top, i don't give my opinion, i mean actual world ranking.

[@uglyminger910]

that's y u should play pro sports....

[@fatal-upsb9903]

ugly minger wat does dat mean

[@SlicksterUK]

"I decided to separate from the GB team" and took a real kicking in first round representing Moldova. ROFLMAO. Guess Rio 2016 won't be such a "satisfying chapter" after all will it? Cook stuck two fingers up to his country and deserves no sympathy.

[@SlicksterUK]

Perhaps because it was such a stupid, arrogant decision? There have been lots of extremely bad decisions made by grown men over the years. Admittedly Cook's was not as bad as Hitler's, Stalin's etc but it is perfectly acceptable to criticise it BECAUSE he is a grown man. Highly amusing to see his treachery repaid so publicly.

[@fatal-upsb9903]

Nick P holy hell calm down lad