Azerbaijan and China come first place in 2015 Taekwondo World Cup Team Championships

Great Britain’s Jade Jones, right, in action against Spain’s Eva Calvo Gomez during the Women’s -57 final match during day two of the WTF World Taekwondo Championships at the Regional Arena Manchester, England, Saturday Oct. 17, 2015. (Simon Cooper/PA via AP)

The 2015 WTF World Cup Taekwondo Team Championships kicked off on Dec. 8, 2015 for a two-day run at the Sala de Armas, the Olympic fencing venue in the Magdalena Mixihuca Sports Complex in Mexico City, Mexico.

The World Cup is arguably the most exciting event on the taekwondo calendar being held every two years since 2006. While individual taekwondo matches frequently feature tactical, defensive combat, the World Cup, using a team format, features consistently dynamic, offensive action.

In the first round, fighters are matched up by pre-set number. In the second and third rounds, coaches can substitute fighters as the situation demands – signaling each substitution by audio signal.

Eleven nations were represented at the event, which pitches 15 teams – eight male and seven female – against each other.

Each male team has a maximum weight of 442kg for five players, though teams can compete with four persons, or five plus an optional substitutes. Each female team has the same number qualification as the men, but with a maximum weight of 376kg.

In the male category, the teams represented are (in ranking order): Iran, Russia, Uzbekistan, Korea, Belgium, Azerbaijan, the USA and Mexico. In the female category, the teams represented are: Korea, last year’s champions, Chinese Taipei, China, Russia, the USA, Cote d’Ivoire and Mexico. Teams are permitted a maximum of two foreign players.

For the men category, Azerbaijan came in the first place while Iran was announced the runner-up, and the bronze medals were awarded to South Korea and Russia. For the women category, China came in the first place while Mexico was announced the runner-up, and the bronze medals were awarded to Chinese Taipei and South Korea.

The event drew 48 male and 41 female athletes. Overseeing the competition were 88 officials and 30 referees.