Martial artist Nino Ontoy won a bronze medal at the 2024 World Taekwondo Championship in Hong Kong recently.
Competing in the male under-30 category, the Manx Taekwondo athlete produced a memorable on the world stage at the Hong Kong Coliseum.
In the round of 64, the island teenager got the better of Si Ru Kang from Mauritius to set up a last-32 clash with the number-three seed, Elian Ortega Velasquez of Nicaragua.
Unfortunately, the latter was forced to withdraw from the bout, ensuring Ontoy progressed to the round of 16 where he went up against Francesco De Marco of Italy.
Ontoy maintain his fine form with an 8.730-8.540 victory.
That booked his placed in the quarter-finals and set up a fight with Mexico’s Salvador Hinojosa, and once again it was the Isle of Man fighter that prevailed in a tight contest to seal his place in the last-four.
There he faced Ryan Real of the United States but unfortunately this was the end of the road for Ontoy as he was narrowly beaten by the American who booked his place in the final.
Ontoy’s impressive run to the semi-finals earned him a bronze medal, with Real earning silver after being beaten in the final by Sang Woo Kim of Korea.
Speaking after the event, the 18-year-old from Douglas revealed he has now set his sights on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. He added: ‘I’m incredibly thankful for this opportunity and the support around me.’