Day one of the Paris 2026 World Taekwondo Grand Prix closed at the Palais des Sports Marcel Cerdan in Levallois, France on October 9, 2026, with gold medals decided in the M -58kg, W +67kg and M +80kg categories. Iran collected two titles and Great Britain one. The event is the third World Taekwondo Grand Prix of the 2026 season.
Day one at a glance: two golds for Iran, a long-awaited return for Williams
According to World Taekwondo's official report, all three finals on the opening day were contested by Olympic medallists or world champions: Iran's Abolfazl Zandi and Arian Salimi took the M -58kg and M +80kg titles, while Britain's Lauren Williams won the W +67kg.
The opening day delivered Grand Prix-level intensity on both counts: head-to-head duels between Olympic champions, and a comeback from an athlete returning after injury. World Taekwondo confirmed that competition continues on day two with the W -57kg, W -67kg and M -68kg categories.
M -58kg: Zandi claims his first Grand Prix gold
The M -58kg final pitted Iran's Abolfazl Zandi against Korea's Olympic champion Tae Joon Park. A cagey first round saw blows traded with neither athlete committing; Zandi then accelerated in the second round to open a gap Park could not close, sealing his maiden World Taekwondo Grand Prix gold.
On the way to the final, Zandi's opponent Jesus Fraile Rodriguez of Spain withdrew after the first round. Park defeated Jordan's Ja'afar Aldaoud 2-0 in the semi-final and overcame compatriot Eun Su Seo, the M -54kg world champion, in the quarter-finals.
W +67kg: an eight-year wait ends for Williams
In the W +67kg final, China's Lei Xu struck first, but Williams levelled at 4-4 and edged ahead to take the opening round 10-6. She carried that momentum into the second round, building a commanding lead to seal the title - her first Grand Prix gold since 2018 and her first in the W +67kg category.
Williams is a Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallist who had battled back from surgery after rupturing her hamstring at the Roma 2023 World Taekwondo Grand Prix. Her semi-final went the full three rounds against Russia's Anastasiia Kosmycheva, a bronze medallist in Rome and silver medallist in Muju. In the other semi-final, Xu overcame Hungary's two-time world champion Luana Marton.
M +80kg: Salimi repeats the Paris 2024 final
Iran's Arian Salimi, the reigning Olympic champion, came from a round down to beat Great Britain's Caden Cunningham, the Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist, in a repeat of the Paris 2024 final. Cunningham took the opening round 14-9 after a head kick gave him the lead at 8-6. Salimi responded 13-9 in the second and prevailed 11-7 in the decider, returning to the top of the podium in Paris after bronze in Muju.
Cunningham came through a dramatic semi-final against Tunisia's Motaz Ifaoui, who had earlier defeated Italy's two-time world champion Simone Alessio. In the other semi-final Salimi beat Egypt's Seif Eissa, the reigning -87kg world champion, ending Eissa's hopes of back-to-back Grand Prix titles after his maiden gold in Muju.
Competition gear at Grand Prix level: compliance and fit
Grand Prix competition places clear demands on equipment. Under WT competition rules, scoring in kyorugi relies on the electronic protector system, so the fit and positioning of protectors directly affect the consistency of scoring decisions, and head, trunk, hand and mouth protection must all pass pre-competition checks. For a full overview of scoring, penalties and equipment requirements, see our WT Taekwondo Competition Rules Brief.
For dojangs and clubs preparing a new season, three checks matter most: the certification and size fit of protectors; whether competition dobok weight and breathability match training and match conditions; and the replacement cycle for consumables such as mouthpieces. Protection such as the MTX Hand Protector covers day-to-day sparring and pre-competition preparation.
Bulk purchasing requirements - dojangs, clubs and distributors - are handled through our inquiry channel for specifications and commercial terms. Product pages provide specification references and facility customisation covers mat and venue configuration. Public pages do not offer direct online ordering; purchasing and quotations run through inquiry.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- →Day one of the Paris 2026 World Taekwondo Grand Prix decided golds in M -58kg, W +67kg and M +80kg.
- →Iran took two titles: Abolfazl Zandi (M -58kg) and Arian Salimi (M +80kg).
- →Britain's Lauren Williams won W +67kg, her first Grand Prix gold since 2018.
- →The event is the third Grand Prix of the 2026 season; day two features W -57kg, W -67kg and M -68kg.
MTX 2 Hand Protector
MTX 是为全球所有跆拳道运动员的基础训练及比赛提升而设计的系列。不仅品质优良，还承诺合理价格，使每位跆拳道运动员都能无负担地佩戴使用。
FAQ
Q1.Which gold medals were decided on day one of the Paris 2026 World Taekwondo Grand Prix?+
Golds were decided in M -58kg, W +67kg and M +80kg, with two titles for Iran and one for Great Britain.
Q2.Who won the W +67kg title?+
Great Britain's Lauren Williams, who beat China's Lei Xu in the final for her first Grand Prix gold since 2018.
Q3.What do WT competitions require of protectors and dobok?+
Under WT competition rules, protectors must comply with competition equipment standards and pass pre-competition checks, while dobok weight, cut and breathability should match the athlete's weight category and match intensity.
