PhD, Associate Professor A.M. Simakov¹
PhD, Associate Professor Yu.I. Vinogradov²
E.N. Korostelev^2
1Lesgaft National State University of Physical Education, Sport and Health, St. Petersburg
²St. Petersburg Mining University, St. Petersburg

Keywords: women's taekwondo, training system, national team, International Taekwondo Federation.

Background. Most of the modern sports communities encourage progress of the women's competitive sports, and this is one of the reasons why the women’s accomplishments in the individual and team sports are growing. However, national experts are mostly pessimistic about the Russian women’s team prospects to take the lead in the top-ranking international events including the European and World Championships and Olympic Games, although the sports federations still take persistent efforts to facilitate competitive progress of the elite women’s teams [1, 9, 10].

Historically, men's sports have been growing much faster than women's ones and, as a result, the modern training systems, models and tools in men’s sports are much more versatile and well-developed in every aspect. It is rather traditional for every nation that men’s sports have long been more popular and, hence, their competitive accomplishments have been subject to analyses, research and multiple theoretical and practical study reports [2, 3, 4, 5]. Taekwondo has historically been one of the most conservative men’s sports, and no wonder that the modern women’s taekwondo is only a few decades old and still largely unsupported by the theoretical and practical studies. Despite the fact that the women’s taekwondo uses mostly the men’s training systems, models and tools, national women’s teams have made a fast progress on global arenas to challenge the world leaders.

Objective of the study was to analyze the national women’s taekwondo team’s competitive progress in the top-ranking International Taekwondo Federation events and its contribution to the total national (men’s plus women’s) team standing.

Methods and structure of the study. We analyzed for the purposes of the study the main International Taekwondo Federation events in 2017-19 including World Championships, World Cups, European Championships, Russian Championships and Russian Cups. Subject to the retrospective analysis were the competitive performances of the regional taekwondo team in the Russian and global events. All these events are highly competitive. The gender-specific competitive performance analysis factored in the numbers of the women’s and men’s teams and medal standings in every competitive discipline.

Results and discussion. As we mentioned before, the women’s taekwondo remains virtually uncovered by the theoretical and practical science, and this situation cannot but hamper progress of the sport to a degree. The national team standing is determined by the competitive successes of both the men’s and women’s elite, with each athlete qualified for competitions in every individual and team discipline as provided by the valid rules of competitions. This means that a successful competitor may win up to 10 medals in different events of the same competition, provided he/ she competes in every of the 5 individual and 5 team events. Team standings on the scoreboards are fixed both for the men’s and women’s teams. Given in Table 1 hereunder is the competitive performance analysis of the Saint Petersburg men’s and women’s taekwondo teams for 2017-19.

Table 1. Saint Petersburg men’s and women’s taekwondo teams in the 2017-19 International Taekwondo Federation tournaments: competitive performance analysis

The above data show the women’s team contribution to the total team standing being very significant as it accounts for more than a half of the total medals won. It should be mentioned that the competitiveness in the men’s disciplines is much higher than in the women’s although the individual/ team medals are scored by points on the same scale. The Figure hereunder gives the Saint Petersburg men’s and women’s taekwondo teams’ competitive performance analysis with indication of the medals won in the World Championship, European Championship, Russian Championship and Russian Cup in 2017-19 [6-8].

Figure 1. Saint Petersburg men’s and women’s taekwondo teams in the 2017-19 International Taekwondo Federation tournaments: competitive performance analysis

Conclusion. The Saint Petersburg men’s and women’s taekwondo teams’ competitive performance analysis found more than a half of the medals in the top-ranking 2017-18 events won by the women’s team – and this means that the national sport community shall give a special priority to the progress needs of the women’s taekwondo for success of the national team on the whole. In view of the growing competitiveness in the elite women’s taekwondo, the training systems need to be improved based on the knowledge and practical experience of the training process cycling with a special attention to the precompetitive training stages. The training systems shall be customized to the specific needs of every training period with a priority to the individual competitive fitness in every period, target individual/ team disciplines and rankings of the upcoming competitions. A special priority will be given to the functionality building components for success in every discipline of the women’s taekwondo.

References

1. Grets I.A. Record sport achievements of women in context of sexual dimorphism. Smolensk: SGAFKST, 2011. 168 p.
2. Bakulev S.E., Tajmazov V.A., Chistyakov V.A., Simakov A.M. Integral training in youth taekwondo. Study guide. St. Petersburg: PU publ., 2010. 122 p.
3. Mokeev G.I., Rudenko G.V. Boxers' training process design and content within half-year training macrocycle. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 2017. no. 5, pp. 72-74.
4. Pavlenko A.V., Rudenko G.V., Vinogradov Yu.I. Academic taekwondo in Saint Petersburg: training systems and progress trends. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury. 2019. no. 4. pp. 65-67.
5. Rudenko G.V., Mokeev G.I. Junior boxers' integrated training system. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 2017, no. 5, pp. 53-55.
6. Simakov A.M., Sonbol A.A.-G.A. Analysis of performances of Russian athletes at European Taekwondo Championship (ETC) in Liverpool, UK. Uchenye zapiski universiteta im. P.F. Lesgafta. 2017. No. 8 (150). pp.  103-110.
7. Simakov A.M., Simakov D.A., Sonbol A.A.-G.A. Analysis of results of performance of Russian athletes at European Taekwondo Championship (ETC) in Pyongyang, North Korea (DPRK). Uchenye zapiski universiteta im. P.F. Lesgafta. 2018. no. 1 (155). pp. 223-229.
8. Simakov A.M. Analysis of results of performances by Russian taekwondo players at European Championships in Tallinn, Estonia. Uchenye zapiski universiteta im. P.F. Lesgafta. 2018. No. 11 (165). pp. 231-234.
9. Simakova E.A. Functional training of women participating in Taekwondo all-around competitions. Uchenye zapiski universiteta im. P.F. Lesgafta. 2016. No. 5 (135). pp.  202-208.
10. Simakova E.A., Simakov A.M. Changes in functional capabilities of female body during training in taekwondo. Uchenye zapiski universiteta im. P.F. Lesgafta. 2018. no.  1 (155). pp. 230-233.

Corresponding author: simakov-tkd@yandex.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to analyze the national women’s taekwondo team’s competitive progress in the top-ranking International Taekwondo Federation events and its contribution to the total national (men’s plus women’s) team standing.

Methods and structure of the study. We analyzed for the purposes of the study the main International Taekwondo Federation events in 2017-19 including World Championships, World Cups, European Championships, Russian Championships and Russian Cups. Subject to the retrospective analysis were the competitive performances of the regional taekwondo team in the Russian and global events. All these events are highly competitive. The gender-specific competitive performance analysis factored in the numbers of the women’s and men’s teams and medal standings in every competitive discipline.

Results and conclusions. The Saint Petersburg men’s and women’s taekwondo teams’ competitive performance analysis found more than a half of the medals in the top-ranking 2017-18 events won by the women’s team – and this means that the national sport community shall give a special priority to the progress needs of the women’s taekwondo for success of the national team on the whole. In view of the growing competitiveness in the elite women’s taekwondo, the training systems need to be improved based on the knowledge and practical experience of the training process cycling with a special attention to the precompetitive training stages. The training systems shall be customized to the specific needs of every training period with a priority to the individual competitive fitness in every period, target individual/ team disciplines and rankings of the upcoming competitions. A special priority will be given to the functionality building components for success in every discipline of the women’s taekwondo.