Australia's first ever taekwondo Olympic gold medal - Lauren Burns - Sydney 2000

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Inspiration to get into sports comes in all forms. It can even come from a brother who started taekwondo lessons motivated by "The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" movie. Just ask Lauren Burns.
From that unusual inspiration, Lauren started taekwondo at age 14. Six years later, when the sport was announced to debut at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, she defined the Olympic medal as her goal.
With a packed audience to inspire her, Lauren Burns faced Cuban athlete Urbia Melendez in a thrilling contest which gave her the first ever taekwondo Olympic gold medal for Australia.
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[@TheFullcontactfighte]

Beautiful! Me and my family were there...it's was the first time we went to Homebush that year: to watch the Olympic Tae Kwon Do...the second time I went as a coach, taking among the competitors my own daughter... Later, on a training session, the Olympic champion signed my daughter' hogu...time indeed flies! Aussie Aussie Aussie!!!!

[@mushroomprincess3502]

Oi oi oi!

[@Milanders]

Under todays rules she would have won 9 - 2, getting bonus points for her back kick and 6 points for her two head shots, actually had they had electronic protectors it would probably have been 8 - 0

[@peterwindle4453]

In my opinion, one of the greatest un-sung heros of Australian Olympic winners. Aussies often talk about the sports dominated by Aussies, or... the Bradbury moment, but rarely, very rarely, do people talk about this moment. She should be celebrated repeatedly for this.

[@hasanelias8878]

Nothing compares to an Olympic gold medal. She will be remembered for decades. Well done!

[@grem9272]

When the Taekwondo was elegant and fashionable .unfortunately in those last 10 years taekwondo has lose his really style and spirit .

[@JamesPark77777]

Totally agreed. what happend

[@TurboBugHunter]

Lauren burns was part of the reason I got into taekwondo and I've been loving it ever since. What is this song by the way?

[@massivemagoo]

i was in the crowd. wish the camera panned to where i was sitting and i could see myself in the audience tho :(

[@sliat1981]

2:19 her coach carrying her like a baby.

[@ttoctam3]

Why is this not available?

[@deanjohnson1035]

Wow that Axe kick you go girl!

[@Supermario0429]

I love Austrailia. Keep going all!

[@greenlimenay]

Proud of our aussies

[@Allnew_K]

Good old days

[@tipperary1082]

Hamish and Andy anyone?

[@sliat1981]

Luckily doesn’t look like her dad. My mum grew up with his song “Smiley”

[@sumayohussein9453]

she came to my school and we touched her Olympian medal and this Silver thing and she taught Taekwondo we had photos the day that she came was September 9th and her best friend is Amy today was the best day ever it seem very good except it was raining never mind THAT WAS THE BEST DAY EVER my family was jealous LoL am keep on writing this until I say The things mt group had papers this were the people Sumayo that's me nell Asha Jessica kunuz zeynep and Myles lol

[@jazzy3032]

sumayo Hussein I

[@drako8502]

isso era TAEKWONDO de VERDADE ......

[@lisbethpantoja2727]

mi querida prof ulbia melendez nunca la voy a olvidar ,que mujer mas humilde

[@Aussiex77x]

With today's rule changes, she would have won by a lot more. Those headkicks are three points apiece now, so she would have won 8-2, assuming those body kicks would have come up on electronic shields.

[@Michael-px9oo]

What’s the name of the bgm?

[@pirwzy]

that referee needs to get his shirt tailored

[@juliajoy3305]

Pirwzy good old 2000 😂😂

[@gaztopia1]

OK.... for you silly people debating.... She won it fairly and squarely by a referee who looks more Cuban than Australian. Whether you agree or don't agree with the result, the history books will always show Lauren Burns as the victor.

[@iansinclair6256]

This is the Taekwondo i prefer, not this new fairy tapping stuff.

[@SPOOKSTR]

Looked like 2 angry Irish dancers.

[@christianlorre]

It's silly to make a big deal of it being Australia's first gold medal in taekwondo as if they've been waiting. The fact is the Sydney games were the first Olympics where this was a full fledged sport.

[@SamsMovies]

i held her gold medal today :) lol

[@futureproducer12]

Ok I'm Australian and I'm happy that she got gold but that was absolute bullshit the Cuban girl clearly won that Lauren only got that because it was hosted in Australia

[@travislegg4231]

Aiden Rawlins Bullshit. We had a male Australian in the finals as well. He lost. So if thats the case why did he loose?

[@leannewilson1080]

Not true...Lauren won her gold fair and square.Aiden...if what you say is true...how come Daniel Trenton only won silver?Explain that based on your theory!!!

[@siggimund]

@@travislegg4231 Forgot to pay the judges?

[@fearsword357]

As an avid Aussie sports fan I'd prefer this to the current Olympics we are pathetic in 2012!!

[@mytram508]

fearsword357 this was in 2000 dumbo read the title

[@fjbutch]

Good onya Aussie !!!!!!!!!!!

[@Culturedthug1776]

If they just kept their hands up and protected themselves properly the way a boxer would, so many pf these kicks wouldnt land.

[@leannewilson1080]

You are not encouraged to block while sparring as it may hurt your opponent!I trained in Taekwondo for 4 years.

[@12hunnett]

Educate me on why they yell

[@Tuan...]

Because in taekwondo, yelling or a kia shows dominance and it helps with breathing during the fight

[@888assclown]

face shots

[@wafflepwnify]

i get so confused with the points because 90% of the time there is a score and no point is awarded.

[@cortarelva]

Oportunism wins. The Cuban had much better skill and had more initiative but couldnt connect as much.

[@futureproducer12]

please do go on about how you know much more about taekwondo than me, enlighten to me how the "adjudacation" doesnt work that way btw its called refereeing/ judging no one calls it an adjudacator

[@jwpla]

lol i cant believe this is an olympic sport

[@TheKillerCookieXD]

@freftd But if they had a boxers stance it would be harder to land a kick

[@logansmith7241]

My beer can do that, hold me

[@leebaidyanathan1]

how is the cuban a winner??

[@JB-vd8bi]

She's not...

[@Dumdum888888]

Really dull. Least fun martial art to spectate.

[@KomodoSerpent]

That's not how the adjudication works.

[@lupebeto9367]

Some points were bullshit

[@youngkenjutsu]

I can do that, hold my beer

[@z06tiKo]

@Dan7564 go watch a WKF video and come back and comment again. Taekwondo is a fakee version of karate or martial arts as a whole. Only drops the name of karate .

[@travislegg4231]

Tigran Martirosyan how is it a fake version of karate?

[@mytram508]

Yea right

[@MistuhDabolina]

good thing neither one of those people actually knew how to fight, somebody might have gotten hurt

[@SinNinjaSPARTAN]

that joke's old