The 2016 Canada Open and Canada Para-Open are among the most prestigious competitions approved by the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) and they constitute a premier taekwondo event leading up to the 2016 Olympic Games. Athletes competing there can accumulate points towards their potential participation in the World Championships and/or the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Taiwan’s 14-member team led by head coach Lee Chia-jung arrived in Montreal on February 8 to participate in this international competition. It was an unusual experience for the players to compete in a city where the temperature was minus 20 degrees Celsius, but they gave an outstanding performance and won four gold and two bronze medals, awards for best male team, best female team, Best Female Athlete, Best Coach for Female Athletes, and Best Referee. The Chinese Taipei team from Taiwan finished the biggest winner in the competition.

After their triumphant return to Taiwan, the players had to prepare right away for a critical competition on March 2 that would decide whether each person is qualified to represent Asia at the Rio Olympics later this year.