[By WTF/NBC-1TV H. J Yook]The 6th WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships concluded its three-day competition in a great success in Vladivostok, Russia on July 31, 2011.

A total of 18 countries took home at least one medal at the annual championships, showing an even taekwondo poomsae techniques among nations.

Besides the poomsae competitions, there were five-country invitational five-member kyorugi team exhibition matches, a three-nation friendship free-style poomsae contest, and a friendship poomsae contest for WTF member national association officials and WTF Council members, all of them drawing special attention from both the jam-packed spectators at the Olympiets sport s complex and the international media.

According to the medal tally by nations, Korea topped others as it took home nine gold medals and one silver medal, followed by Vietnam with two golds, four silvers and one bronze.

Germany followed with two golds, two silvers and one bronze, while Chinese Taipei won two golds, one silver and five bronzes. Host Russia clinched one gold, four silvers and three bronzes, followed by Great Britain and Mexico with one gold medal each.

Iran grabbed two silvers and six bronzes, while Spain grabbed one silver and three bronzes. The Philippines followed with one silver, two bronzes, while China and Denmark won one silver and one bronze each.

Turkey clinched seven bronzes, while Belgium, Canada, Colombia, the Netherlands and Thailand won one bronze medal each.

In the five-member kyorugi team exhibition final match, Korea beat host Russia 36-12 for the gold medal, while Turkey brushed aside a stiff challenge from Azerbaijan to won the bronze-medal decider 45-32 for the bronze medal.

A total of five gold medals were up for grabs on the third and final day of competition at the Vladivostok World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships.

In the men’s individual 2nd senior division for athletes aged between 31 and 40, Korea’s Jin-han Kim clinched the gold medal, while the silver went to Iran’s Mohammadtaghi Hatami. Turkey’s Mevlut Pekcan and Germany’s Marcus Ketteniss won the bronze medal each.

In the women’s individual 2nd senior category, Korea’s Suk-kyung Lee earned her country the gold medal, while the silver went to Germany’s Nicole Ketteniss. Vietnam’s Thi Huyen Dieu Nguyen and Chinese Taipei’s Chi-Lin Wu won the bronze medal in the same division.

In the women’s individual 1st master division, Chinese Taipei’s Chuang-Tsung Lu won the gold medal, while the silver went to Germany’s Imke Turner. The bronze was shared by Spain’s Alcaniz Yolanda Ubero and Russia’s Khalida Vafina.

In the men’s 1st team category for athletes aged between 14 and 35 years, a Vietnamese trio of Anh Minh Le, Dinh Toan Nguyen and Trung Anh Le teamed up to win the gold medal, while the silver went to Russia’s Roman Lebedev, Dmitri Pegai and Vladimir Pegai. The bronze went to Iran’s Fashi Mahdi Jamali, Azarkhavarani Ali Salmani, Hamid Nazarigharechomagh, and Turkey’s Ibrahim Ucan, Mevlut Pekcan and Adil Tekin.

In the women’s 1st team category, a Vietnamese trio of Thi Thu Ngan Nguyen, Thi Le Kim Nguyen and Tuyet Van Chau took home the gold medal. The silver went to Spain’s Ortega Patricia Camino, Ortega Emma Camino and Ortega Maria Teresa Camino. The Philippines’ Francesca Camille Alarilla, Rani Ann Ortega and Ma Carla Janice Lagman and Turkey’s Serim Olgun Bektasoglu, Elif Aybuke Yilmnaz and Nurcan Mazili each won the bronze medal in the same division.