SEA Games: Double taekwondo gold for Singapore

Singapore's Kang Rui Jie won the gold medal for the 28th SEA Games men's individual poomsae finals held at the Singapore Expo Hall 2 on June 12, 2015. -- ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
Singapore's Kang Rui Jie won the gold medal for the 28th SEA Games men's individual poomsae finals held at the Singapore Expo Hall 2 on June 12, 2015. -- ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
Singapore's Kang Rui Jie won the gold medal for the 28th SEA Games men's individual poomsae finals held at the Singapore Expo Hall 2 on June 12, 2015. -- ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
Singapore's Kang Rui Jie won the gold medal for the 28th SEA Games men's individual poomsae finals held at the Singapore Expo Hall 2 on June 12, 2015. -- ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
Singapore's Kang Rui Jie won the gold medal for the 28th SEA Games men's individual poomsae finals held at the Singapore Expo Hall 2 on June 12, 2015. -- ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
Taekwondo exponent Chelsea Sim's individual poomsae final routine. -- -- ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
Taekwondo exponent Chelsea Sim's individual poomsae final routine. -- -- ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
Taekwondo exponent Chelsea Sim celebrating her win in the women's individual poomsae final. -- ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN 
Chelsea Sim and Kang Rui Jie competing in the mixed poomsae event held at the Singapore Expo Hall 2 on June 12, 2015. -- ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN 
Chelsea Sim and Kang Rui Jie competing in the mixed poomsae event held at the Singapore Expo Hall 2 on June 12, 2015. -- ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN 
Singapore's Chelsea Sim (left) and Kang Rui Jie with their bronze medals in the mixed poomsae event at the Singapore Expo Hall 2 on June 12, 2015. The pair had earlier won golds in their respective individual poomsae events. -- ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN 

SINGAPORE - Taekwondo exponent Chelsea Sim has won the gold medal in the women's individual poomsae final - Singapore's first title at the SEA Games since 1999 when S. Sinnathurai won in the men's kyorugi flyweight category.

Compatriot Kang Rui Jie also won the gold medal in the corresponding men's poomsae final.

The 19-year-old Sim beat off the likes of 2014 poomsae world champion Rinna Babanto of the Philippines at the Singapore Expo Hall 2 on Friday morning, to better her silver medal effort at the 2013 Games.

Sim totalled an average of 8.00 over her two routines to see off her closest competitors comfortably, with Babanto settling for the silver on 7.480 points and Indonesia's Habiba Mutiara Mutiara and Kidavone Philavong of Laos were the joint bronze medallists after scoring 7.365 points and 7.350 points respectively.

Kang, 20, won the gold with his final score of 8.135 over two routines making him the clear winner over silver medallist Maulana Haidir from Indonesia, who was awarded 7.635 points. Third place went to Malaysian Yong Jin Kun on 7.305 points, and Sovannat Phal of Cambodia who finished with 7.245 points.

Sim and Kang then teamed up to earn Singapore their third medal on a productive day for taekwondo with a bronze medal effort in the mixed poomsae finals. Vietnamese pair Nguyen Minh Van and Nguyen Minh Tu finished first with 7.885 points, while Malaysia just pipped Singapore to the silver, scoring 7.785 points to the Republic's showing of 7.720 points. Thailand took joint bronze with Singapore on 7.615 points.

jslow@sph.com.sg

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