'Let down' - No fight-off for Bianca Cook as Rebecca McGowan nominated for Team GB taekwondo team
Published 01/07/2024 at 11:01 GMT+1
Team GB's taekwondo team confirmed that they would take Rebecca McGowan to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games as she had been ranked highest in the qualification period. Bianca Cook, who had dominated the sport with Britain for years, suffered from injury in 2023 and has hit out at the selection process that saw her miss out on a potential fight-off with McGowan.
Bianca Cook
Image credit: Getty Images
Bianca Cook says she feels “let down” after the three-time taekwondo world champion was omitted from Team GB’s Olympic squad.
Team GB instead selected 24-year-old Rebecca McGowan, who was higher ranked at the end of the qualification period in December.
Cook placed third at Rio 2016 and the most recent Olympics in Tokyo, and was the world No.1 for seven years. However, her ranking slipped after fitness problems saw her miss a number of events.
Now she is fully recovered, she wanted to fight McGowan in order to decide who would go to Tokyo, but was denied the chance.
Cook told the BBC she feels "let down" after being omitted, saying: "It feels like a massive loss, like grieving, because I’m just absolutely devastated.
"I didn’t expect to just be selected, I wanted to earn that place and I thought that after dominating for so many years and the history that I've achieved for the sport, I deserved a fight-off.
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"Paris was always going to be my last Olympics and I know in my heart I was capable of turning those shiny [bronze] medals into a nice gold one, so I'm devastated because it feels like my journey has been cut short."
According to the BBC, GB Taekwondo said that they did not wish to use the option of a fight-off.
"The Olympic Selection Panel felt confident that Rebecca McGowan was in a better position than Bianca Cook to contribute to winning the best set of medals for Team GB," it said in a statement.
Cook added: "I've had five knee operations in total, I've been through hell with my body and had some major, major injuries during my career, but I've never let it hold me back and I've always shown I can fight back to win.
"This time since coming back I've picked up medals here and there, it's just not consistently won the golds I'm used to, but [at the Olympics] it's about mentality.
"I believe I'm [still] mentally tough for this sport and thought I'd have this one last chance.
"It’s not a personal matter with an individual, it's the situation.
"I wish her [McGowan] all the best at the Olympics and I genuinely hope Team GB Taekwondo go out there and absolutely smash it because it's a sport that I'm proud to be part of."
Cook's husband, Aaron, was also overlooked from the 2012 GB judo team in favour of Lutalo Muhammad.
Aaron Cook then switched allegiance and represented Moldova at the 2016 Games.
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