Two of Taekwondo’s most talented young athletes celebrated gold medals on the second day of the Roma 2026 World Taekwondo Championships, before Rafail Aiukaev rounded off the day with a dramatic victory against legendary home favourite Simone Alessio.
Türkiye’s Berkay Erer was the first gold medallist of the day with victory in the M -68kg category, followed by Côte d’Ivoire’s Kimi Laurène Ossin, who capped an outstanding day by winning W +67kg gold.
Day two concluded with a thrilling M +80kg final, in which Aiukaev recovered after losing the first round to defeat Alessio.
M -68kg
The first final of the day featured two of the sport’s rising stars, Berkay Erer and Russia’s Amir Vykov.
Although Erer entered the competition as the 28th seed, he continued his remarkable run of success by adding the Roma 2026 World Taekwondo Grand Prix title to his growing collection of achievements. This followed his gold medals at the European Taekwondo Championships in Munich last month and the Nairobi 2025 World Taekwondo Under-21 Championships.
After a cautious and tense opening round, Erer pulled away from his opponent to secure an 8-1 victory. The second round produced a dramatic finish, with both athletes pushing for the win, but Erer edged it 8-7 to claim the gold medal.
In the semi-finals, Erer defeated Burkina Faso’s Ibrahim Maiga in three rounds. Maiga had earlier stunned the competition by eliminating reigning world champion and top seed Banlung Tubtimdang of Thailand. His run to the last four also earned Burkina Faso its first-ever World Taekwondo Grand Prix medal.
On the other side of the draw, 2024 World Junior Champion Amir Vykov secured an impressive semi-final victory over Uzbekistan’s Najmiddin Kosimkhojiev, who won gold in the -74kg category at the Wuxi 2025 World Taekwondo Championships.
W +67kg
Kimi Laurène Ossin first announced herself on the global stage at the Wuxi 2025 World Taekwondo Championships, where she won a silver medal in the -73kg category. In Rome, she went one step further, capturing gold and confirming her status as one of the sport’s most promising talents.
In the final against China’s Wenzhe Mu, Ossin took control from the outset, dominating the opening round and securing an 8-3 victory.
Mu, who won bronze in the +73kg category at Wuxi 2025 and claimed the World Taekwondo Grand Prix Challenge title in Charlotte last year, responded strongly in the second round. However, her comeback fell short as Ossin held firm to complete a 4-2 win and record the biggest triumph of her career to date.
Ossin delivered another confident performance in the semi-finals, defeating Türkiye’s Sude Yaren Uzunçavdar – the reigning Under-21 World Champion, European Championships silver medallist, and Wuxi 2025 bronze medallist in the -73kg category.
Uzunçavdar had earlier impressed by eliminating Sarah Chaâri of Belgium, the reigning -73kg World Champion and 2025 World Taekwondo Female Athlete of the Year, in the quarter-finals. However, she was unable to maintain that momentum and was beaten by Ossin in straight rounds.
In the other semi-final, Wenzhe Mu secured her place in the final after winning an entertaining three-round contest against Russia’s Anastasiia Kosmycheva.
M +80kg
An electric atmosphere set the stage for the final gold medal match of the day as Italy’s Simone Alessio faced Russia’s Rafail Aiukaev in front of a passionate home crowd.
The legendary two-time World Champion and Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Alessio looked at his dominant best in the opening round, producing a commanding performance to secure an 18-8 victory.
However, Aiukaev had shown impressive form throughout the competition and responded strongly in the second round. A video replay review determined that Alessio had stepped outside the contest area before the clock expired, allowing Aiukaev to level the match and force a decisive third round.
The final round delivered a thrilling conclusion, with both athletes battling until the final seconds. Aiukaev ultimately emerged victorious, improving on the silver medal he won in the +87kg category at the Wuxi 2025 World Taekwondo Championships by claiming gold in Rome with a 15-12 victory.
Earlier in the day, Aiukaev secured his place in the final by defeating Uzbekistan’s Marat Mavlonov in the semi-finals. Mavlonov had already produced one of the surprises of the tournament by eliminating top seed and reigning -87kg World Champion Seif Eissa of Egypt in the quarter-finals.
On the other side of the draw, Alessio advanced to the final after overcoming Korea’s Sang Hyun Kang, the reigning +87kg World Champion, setting up a memorable showdown for the gold medal.
Looking Ahead
Competition continues on day three of the Roma 2026 World Taekwondo Grand Prix, with athletes set to compete in the Women’s -49kg and Men’s -58kg categories.
Text & Photo Credits: Roma 2026 World Taekwondo Grand Prix
Video Credits: Icarus Sports
