Irene Mar, a Paralympic Tae Kwon Do athlete from Fiji, has seen her aspirations for success at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris come to a close. The 19-year-old was eliminated from contention for a bronze medal after suffering a 12-6 defeat against Kazakhstan’s Kamilya Dosmalova in the women’s K44-57kg repechage at the Grand Palais.
Mar began the Games with an impressive victory over Ukrainian competitor Yuliya Lypetska, ranked seventh in the world, winning convincingly with a score of 25-3. She moved forward to the quarter-finals but faced a tough challenge, losing to Turkey’s Gamze Gurdal with a score of 29-5.
Despite her early successes, Mar faced a more seasoned opponent in Dosmalova during the repechage, ultimately ending her medal hopes. Mar is part of a trio representing Fiji at the Paralympic Games, and she had the honor of being Team Fiji’s flagbearer during the opening ceremony.
The next athletes from Fiji to compete are Naibili Vatunisolo and Seni Seau, who will be participating in the women’s shot put event.