Manx Taekwondo athlete Nino Ontoy enjoyed a successful trip to the English capital recently to compete in both the London Open Poomsae Championship and the WT President’s Cup Europe 2026.

Marking the first G-Class poomsae championship on British soil, the events drew record crowds of elite athletes- more than 550 competitors on Saturday and 548 on Sunday - making it one of the largest poomsae competitions ever held in Britain.

Ontoy competed in both tournaments in the under-30 male individual and team categories.

He faced tough competition in the individual events, exiting in the fourth and second rounds in competitions after very close calls despite having his highest score of 9.0, losing by about 0.2 on the final score.

But his team performances stole the spotlight.

At the London Open, Nino joined a newly-formed team with Jia Hao Yu and Zak Way.

Despite limited time training together, the trio advanced to the finals and captured a silver medal - an impressive feat for a team still finding its rhythm.

The following day at the WT President’s Cup Europe, he reunited with his established under-30 team, including Maximo Libid and Oluwatimilehin Akinrele.

They reached the finals with smooth performances but narrowly missed out on gold, losing by less than 0.1 points in a heart-stopping finish.

Reflecting on his achievements, Ontoy said: ‘I would like to thank God for the opportunity to compete despite a packed academic schedule, and my parents, team-mates, coaches, and Masters Samuel Kim and Rod Nielsen for their support.’

Ontoy would also like to thank to his main sponsor, Utmost International, and Isle of Man Sport Aid.

With two podium finishes and an unforgettable experience at two world-class events, his performances have firmly established him as one of the rising talents in international poomsae competition.

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