Two bronze medals for Croatia in South Korea as Karabatić and Meštrović reach the Grand Prix podium

Croatia took two bronze medals at the World Taekwondo Grand Prix in Muju, South Korea, with Nika Karabatić and Dora Meštrović both reaching the semifinals.

Karabatić, representing TK Marjan in the under-57-kilogram category, opened with a 2-0 win over Tunisia’s Chaima Toumi. She repeated that score against China’s Zongshi Luo in the round of 16, then beat Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Ada Avdagić 2-1 in the quarterfinals. South Korea’s Yu-jin Kim stopped her in the semifinal, winning 2-1.

Meštrović of TK Medvedgrad secured the other bronze in the under-67-kilogram category. She defeated Chile’s Claudia Gallardo and Ecuador’s Mell Mina 2-0, then beat Jordan’s Razan Mohammed Alrawashdeh 2-1 in the quarterfinals. Spain’s Lena Moreno won their semifinal, leaving Meštrović in third place.

Oscar Kovačić finished fifth in the under-80-kilogram division after wins over China’s Zhaoxun Cai and Russia’s Vladislav Budin. Brazil’s Henrique Marques Rodrigues Fernandes defeated him 2-1 in the quarterfinals. Doris Pole beat South Korea’s Hyo Rim Hong before losing 2-1 to Brazil’s Milena Titoneli, while Leon Hrgota fell 2-1 to Georgia’s Zurab Kintsurashvili in the first round.