Bianca Cook's Olympic Journey Ends with No Paris 2024 Games
Three-time world taekwondo champion Bianca Cook has expressed her devastation after being omitted from Team GB's Olympic line-up, feeling that she deserved a fight-off for the spot. Despite being a three-time world champion and winning bronze at both the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics under her maiden name Walkden, Cook was not selected for the upcoming Olympics in Paris.
The decision by GB Taekwondo to select two-time world medallist Rebecca McGowan, who was ranked higher at the end of the qualification period, has left Cook feeling let down. Cook, who was the world number one for seven years until mid-2023, missed several events due to injury but is now fully fit and believes she deserved a chance to compete for her spot on the team.
Cook expressed her disappointment at not being given the opportunity for a fight-off against McGowan, as she believed she had earned the chance to prove herself once more. With Paris being her last Olympics, Cook felt confident in her abilities to potentially upgrade her bronze medals to a gold one, making her exclusion even more heartbreaking.
Despite the setback, Cook is moving forward with her career as she starts work as a BBC TV pundit. Her Olympic career may be essentially over, but she remains a highly decorated athlete, having won multiple world championships and Olympic medals. The announcement of the Team GB taekwondo squad, including the selection of Rebecca McGowan, is expected to be made tomorrow in Birmingham, just weeks before the Games begin. Cook's journey may have been cut short, but her legacy in the sport remains strong and impressive.
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