Arlington Heights taekwondo student earns medal at national championship

For promising youngsters like 12-year-old Hwando Jang of Arlington Heights, the 2016 USA Taekwondo National Championship was a mighty first step on the path to athletic glory. The black belt student of the White Tiger Martial Arts Center in Wheeling left the tournament -- the largest taekwondo competition in the United States -- proudly bearing a silver medal in forms and bronze medal in board breaking.

"Hwando has brought immense pride to himself, his family and our center," said his instructor, White Tiger Head Master Shik Lee. "He is a determined and skilled competitor with a bright future in taekwondo."

More than 3600 athletes competed at this year's national championship, held in Richmond, VA, from July 4-10 and boasting Olympic-level training technology. The United States Olympic Committee recognizes USA Taekwondo as the governing body for the sport in the U.S., and victory at USAT's national level is an important step on the road to compete for the U.S. at the XXXII Olympic Summer Games, to be held in 2020 in Tokyo, Japan.

For young athletes under the age of 16, who are not yet eligible to enter Olympic trials, the USAT nationals serve as the highest and most prestigious level of competition they can achieve.