Lutalo Muhammad
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality | British | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
3 June 1991 Walthamstow, London | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residence | Manchester, England[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Middlesex University[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years active | 2008–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 80 kg (176 lb)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | gbtaekwondo.co.uk | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Britain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Taekwondo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) |
-80kg -87kg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Wayne Muhammad Taekwondo Academy[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Wayne Muhammad[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest world ranking |
1 (-80kg) 4 (-87kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Updated on 10 September 2016. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
.svg.png){kind=icon}
.svg.png){kind=icon}
.svg.png){kind=icon}
Lutalo Muhammad (born 3 June 1991) is a British taekwondo athlete who represented Great Britain at the 2012 summer olympics, winning a bronze medal, and the 2016 summer olympics, winning a silver medal. He won the Gold medal in the -87 kg class at the 2012 European Taekwondo Championships.[3] He is the most successful male in British taekwondo history.
Early life
Muhammad was born on 3 June 1991 in Walthamstow, London, England.[1] He was coached by his father, Wayne Muhammad, in the art of taekwondo from the age of three.[1]
2012 Summer Olympics
Muhammad won the Gold medal in the -87 kg class at the 2012 European Taekwondo Championships.
There is no -87 kg category in the Olympic Games; however, Muhammad was selected to be Britain's representative in the -80 kg category at the 2012 Summer Olympics. This decision was controversial as he was selected instead of Aaron Cook, who was the World No. 1 and European champion in the -80 kg class. The controversy attracted considerable attention in the media.
The decision drew criticism from former athletes such as John Cullen and Steve Redgrave.[4] Muhammed received hate mail following his selection.[5] GB performance director Gary Hall defended his selection and said "Aaron has a bigger marketing machine than the whole of GB Taekwondo", whilst fellow taekwondo competitor Sarah Stevenson dismissed the world rankings as inconsequential.[6]
Muhammad stated that "Unfortunately with the nature of sport there are always going to be winners and losers so I wish him all the best for his future, but my focus right now is not Aaron Cook, it's a gold medal in London."[7] In the games Muhammad reached the quarter-finals where he lost to Nicolás García of Spain.[8] In the repechage he defeated Armenian Arman Yeremyan 9–3 winning a bronze medal.[9]
2016 Summer Olympics
Muhammad won the Olympic silver medal -80 kg category improving on his bronze from 2012. Muhammad was leading in the final before losing in the last second to rival Cheick Sallah Cisse.[10]
Honours
- 2008 German Open (Gold) Jnr
- GLL Sports Foundation Award (2008)
- Middlesex University Sportsman of the Year (2011)
- 2012 London Olympics (Bronze)
- 2012 European Championships (Gold)
- Middlesex University Sportsman of the Year (2012)
- 2013 National Championships (Gold)
- 2013 World Grand Prix Final (Gold)
- 2014 European Championships (Bronze)
- 2014 National Championships (Gold)
- 2014 Commonwealth Championships (Gold)
- 2015 European Club Championships (Gold)
- 2015 European Olympic Games (Bronze)
- 2015 World Grand Prix Final (Gold)
- 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics (Silver)
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Profile". teamgb.com. Archived from the original on June 13, 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
- ↑ "Walthamstow's Lutalo Muhammad captures gold". East London and West Essex Guardian. 9 May 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
- ↑ "Lutalo Muhammad". Retrieved 2012-06-18.
- ↑ Hope, Nick (24 May 2012). "London 2012: Aaron Cook must go to Olympics - Cullen". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
- ↑ Hope, Nick (6 June 2012). "Lutalo Muhammad receives hate mail following selection row". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
- ↑ Hope, Nick (1 June 2012). "London 2012: No Cook 'witch-hunt', insist GB Taekwondo chiefs". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
- ↑ Hope, Nick (12 June 2012). "London 2012: Lutalo Muhammad says he can win Olympic gold". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
- ↑ "Muhammad fails to justify selection over world No 1 Cook as Brit falls at quarter-final stage". www.dailymail.co.uk. 10 August 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
- ↑ Addley,Esther (10 August 2012). "London 2012: Lutalo Muhammad taekwondo bronze boosts selectors". www.guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
- ↑ Pidd, Helen (21 August 2016). "Silver for Lutalo Muhammad after heartbreaking loss in -80kg taekwondo". The Guardian.