Jack Woolley
Taekwondo
BIOGRAPHY
Jack Woolley represented Ireland in the men’s -58kg taekwondo at two Olympic Games, becoming the first Irish athlete to compete in taekwondo at the Olympics. At Tokyo 2020 he lost in the round of 16 to Argentina’s Lucas Guzmán and finished 11th overall. At Paris 2024 he lost in the round of 16 to Azerbaijan’s Gashim Magomedov but qualified for the repechage when Magomedov reached the final, before narrowly losing to Spain’s Adrián Vicente and finishing 7th overall.
Woolley grew up in Jobstown, Tallaght and trains at South Dublin Taekwondo Club. He first came to public attention aged 17 when he featured in RTÉ’s Road to Rio documentary, which followed his unsuccessful bid to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics – missing out by a single point. He came out as bisexual on the programme, the first high-profile Irish athlete in combat sports to do so publicly. Five days after the Tokyo Games ended, he was severely attacked by a gang in Dublin and required reconstructive surgery. He qualified for Paris 2024 at the European qualifier in Sofia in March 2024 after narrowly missing automatic qualification through ranking.
TAEKWONDO NEWS
LA28 Qualification Dates in 2026
ROAD TO LA ALREADY UNDERWAY! 2026 marks the beginning of the qualification journey for many sports as they look ahead to the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028. Qualifying for the Games, which take place from 14–30 July 2028, is challenging across all disciplines. Most sports require either direct qualification through specific events, qualification via [...]
Istanbul 2027 European Games
A Key Step on the Road to LA28 The 4th European Games will take place in Istanbul, Turkey from 16 to 27 June 2027, one year out from the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. For Team Ireland, Istanbul represents a significant moment in the LA28 cycle: a major competitive platform, a qualification opportunity across multiple [...]
IRISH RECORD FALLS FOR MEDLEY RELAY IN EYOF
In temperatures reaching over 40 degrees, the Todor Proeski National Arena enjoyed scorching performances from the Girls’ Medley Relay this evening, with Team Ireland qualifying for tomorrow’s final with the third fastest qualifying time. Also in action was Hammer Thrower Thomas Williams who threw a season’s best throw of 73.07 to finish just outside [...]
THIRTY-FIVE ATHLETES ACROSS EIGHT SPORTS TO COMPETE AT EYOF SKOPJE
The Olympic Federation of Ireland has today named thirty-five athletes who will compete across eight sports in the Summer European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) taking place later this month. The EYOF is the largest European multi-sport event for young athletes aged 14-17, typically held every two years. This year it takes place in Skopje, North [...]
Team Ireland EYOF Medallists 1991 – 2024
In the 24 years of Team Ireland competing at the European Youth Olympic Festival – Ireland has had significant success. There have been 72 medals won by Irish athletes in that time, and the most successful Games for Team Ireland was in Tibilisi in 2015, with a total of ten medals being spread across athletics [...]
In The News – May 26th
Team Ireland Round-Up | Medals, Records, and Milestones Across Europe and the U.S. ATHLETICS | Gidey’s Breakthrough, Healy Shines, English and Coscoran Impress Efrem Gidey made history on Saturday evening in Pacé, France, becoming the first Irish athlete to win individual gold at the European 10,000m Cup. The 24-year-old surged ahead with just over [...]