There are eight events on the Olympic program, four for men and four for women, all designated by the upper weight limit permitted in each:

Men                              Women

58kg                             49kg
68kg                             57kg
80kg                             67kg
+80kg                           +67kg

Each weight class features 16 competitors drawn into a single elimination tournament.  As with the other combat sports on the Olympic program, taekwondo awards two bronze medals.

Taekwondo is one of seven sports taking place at ExCeL (Exhibition Centre London), one of Europe's largest and most versatile exhibition spaces.

London 2012 Storylines:
The trio of Lopez siblings – Steven, Mark and Diana – is expected to be back competing in London.  They are all coached by their older brother Jean.  A fourth Olympic medal for Steven would make him the only taekwondo athlete to reach the podium in each Games since the sport was added to the Olympic program in Sydney 2000.

A third Olympic medal for Hwang Kyung-Seon would make her the most decorated female taekwondo athlete in Olympic history.

Canada's Outlook:
Both of Canada's Olympic taekwondo medals have come from the women.  Dominique Bosshart won bronze in Sydney 2000 while Karine Sergerie added a silver in Beijing 2008.

Sergerie will be back in London 2012, competing in the 67kg weight class after officially earning an Olympic berth at the Canadian Olympic trials.  She regularly competes in the 62kg weight class that is not on the Olympic program.  In 2007 she became the first Canadian to win a World title in taekwondo.  She took the bronze at the 2011 World Championships.

Canada's top male competitor is Sébastien Michaud who finished 9th in the 80kg in his Olympic debut in Beijing 2008.  A World bronze medallist in 2007 and 2009, he lost in the round of 16 at the 2011 World Championships.  He also was able to qualify for London 2012 at the Canadian Olympic trials.

Joining Michaud on the men's side is François Coulombe-Fortier who will be representing Canada at London 2012 in the +80kg weight class.

Other International Athletes to Follow:

MEN

Steven Lopez – United States (80kg)

• One of two taekwondo athletes to win three Olympic medals, having won gold in Sydney 2000 (68kg) and Athens 2004 (80kg) before leaving Beijing 2008 with bronze (80kg)
• Brother Mark and sister Diana also competed in taekwondo at the 2008 Olympic Games, making them the first set of three American siblings to compete at the same Games since 1904; Mark won silver in the 68kg weight class and Diana won bronze in the 57kg weight class

• Won back-to-back World titles in 2009 and 2011
• Will be 22-years-old when he makes his Olympic debut in London 2012

• Won gold in her Olympic debut in Beijing 2008
• Won the 2011 World title in the 49kg weight class after taking bronze in 2009; was also the 2007 World Champion at 47kg

• Won gold in Beijing 2008, defeating Canada's Karine Sergerie in the final, after taking bronze in Athens 2004
• Won World titles in 2005 and 2007 and got back on the world championship podium in 2011, taking the bronze medal