Taekwondo: A touching story ends in heartbreak

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Sydney: A touching Olympic story ended in heartbreak on Wednesday when Kay Poe -- the US Taekwondo fighter who only made it to Sydney because her best friend gave up her slot -- crashed out in the first round.

Poe's place representing the United States in the women's under 49 kg competition should have been taken by Esther Kim.

But in one of the most selfless acts in sport, Kim forfeited a qualifying bout against her childhood friend and training partner who had smashed her knee in an earlier round-robin fight.

Kim feared that if she fought her friend the knee might buckle, permanently ending Poe's career in the ancient Korean martial art.

That gesture won Kim an invitation to Sydney courtesy of Juan Antonio Samaranch, president of the International Olympic Committee, and a standing ovation from committee members after she showed up.

But world number one Poe bowed out on the first day of Taekwondo competition, going down 3-4 to Hanne Hoegh Poulsen of Denmark.

"I lost. It happens to the best of athletes," said a distressed Poe, who has lost only one fight in competition since September 1998.

"I wasn't feeling my best."



(c) Reuters Limited.