Rebecca McGowan made her Olympic debut for Team GB at Paris 2024 in August last year, competing at the Grand Palais, where she reached the +67kg taekwondo bronze medal match, and was the first Scot to compete in taekwondo at an Olympic Games. At the 2024 European Taekwondo Championships, Rebecca won the Bronze medal, and the previous year, for her final competition of 2023, she won Silver at the Grand Prix Final in Manchester. Amongst Rebecca’s other competitions, she became the European champion in 2021 at the European Championships in Sofia, and she won Silver in the +73kg competition at her most recent World Taekwondo Championships. Currently, Rebecca is fixing a three-year hip injury, and she trains at Caledonian Taekwondo Health & Fitness Centre. We chatted to Rebecca about making her Olympic debut at Paris 2024, winning Silver at the Grand Prix Final in Manchester and becoming European champion in 2021.
How did you find the experience making your Olympic debut at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in August?
It was amazing, I had so much fun and just tried to take advantage of the entire experience fighting in a venue like that is unbelievable!
What was it like competing in Paris at the Grand Palais, and reaching the +67kg taekwondo bronze medal match?
It was great! Still a little bittersweet getting so close to an Olympic medal but I’m using it as fuel for LA 2028!!
What did you enjoy most about being part of Team GB at the Olympics and how was it being the first Scot to compete in taekwondo?
I just enjoyed being amongst the best athletes in the world and embracing everything.
How was it staying in the athletes village and attending the Olympics closing ceremony?
The closing ceremony was an amazing chance to celebrate our teammates and the hard work we had put in for the entire cycle!
Can you tell us about competing at the 2024 European Taekwondo Championships in May, which saw you win Bronze?
The European Championships was a great chance for me to put to work what I had been practicing and improving on. I was carrying a small injury at this competition so it made me have to work smarter and differently leading into this comp but it was a great chance to work on things I wanted to improve!
You became European champion at the 2021 European Championships in Sofia, what do you remember from this competition and how did you feel collecting your medal?
This was one of my favourite career moments so far! It was incredible, it was my first wow moment that almost gave me the confidence boost I needed to break through!
For your final competition of 2023, you competed at the Grand Prix Final in December, how was it winning Silver in Manchester?
This competition secured my qualification for Paris so it was amazing, especially to do it in front of a home crowd.
What is it like competing at the World Taekwondo Championships, where you most recently won Silver in the +73kg competition?
This competition was great! It was very different as I actually was competing with two broken ribs so I almost went in with no pressure as I didn’t even expect to win a fight with the injury I had. I just enjoyed the day and before I knew it I was walking out to my final.
Do you have a favourite aspect of being involved with taekwondo?
My favourite part of being involved in taekwondo is the thrill I get competing and seeing what I’ve been working on come to light!!
How did you get into taekwondo and was it something you always wanted to do competitively?
A friend I had who I used to fight with a lot done taekwondo and I decided I wanted to do it better than him! From the get go I fell in love with the sport!!
What is it like training at Caledonian Taekwondo Health & Fitness Centre and what does your typical training day look like?
This is my home club! We are like a family! And they have supported me continuously for the past 20 years!! I can’t thank them enough for what they have done for me!
Do you have any favourite sports to watch and how do you like to spend your free time?
I grew up watching football with my dad but I’ve been so engrossed in taekwondo that it’s my favourite!!
Have you been given any advice over your time in taekwondo so far that has stuck with you?
The best advice I’ve gotten is to focus on where my feet are! That’s all I need to focus on at the time!
Do you have any competitions coming up that you can tell us about or that you are targeting?
Right now my focus is getting my body fit and healthy and fixing a hip injury I’ve been carrying for the past three years!!
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