Kurt Barbosa, the Philippines' lone taekwondo bet in the Tokyo Olympics, lost to top seed Jang Jun of Korea, 26-6, in the men’s -58kg division tournament.
Barbosa can still reach the repechage stage and remain in contention for a bronze medal if Jang advances to the gold medal match.
Jang is the world No. 1-ranked fighter in 58kg category and a 2-time World Taekwondo Grand Prix champion.
A UAAP Rookie-MVP from National University in 2018, Barbosa is the first Filipino jin in the Olympics since Tshomlee Go and Mary Antoinette Rivero competed in the 2008 Beijing Games.
Update: Barbosa concluded his Olympic campaign as Jang failed to reach the finals. The Korean taekwondo jin lost against Tunisia's Mohammed Khalil Jendoubi, 11-16, in the semifinal round.
