Dae Sung Moon
Encyclopedia
Moon Dae-Sung (born September 3, 1976) is a retired 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Olympic
taekwondo
athlete from South Korea
. He won a gold medal
at the 2004 Olympics
held in Athens
, Greece, in the heavyweight division after knocking out Greece's Alexandros Nikolaidis
with a reverse kick.
Upon graduation from Dong-A University
in Busan
, South Korea
in 1999, Moon became a member of the Samsung Corporation
Professional Taekwondo team. Many considered Moon to be the next Kim Je-Gyoung, two time Olympic Gold Medalist and also a member of the Samsung Professional Team and graduate of Dong-A University
, in the heavyweight division of the Korean National team.
Since his high profile win at the Athens Olympic Games, Moon has become a well known celebrity in South Korea, owing to the spectacular performance in the Gold Medal round, his striking good looks, and tall stature. He has become the official Audi
Automobile Company's spokesman and has made numerous television and public appearances.
Notable abilities which make him an elite and consistent athlete are: Left leg roundhouse kick, left leg back kick and reverse (with which he knocked out Alexandros Nikolaidis
) as well as a solid grasp of other core techniques indispensable to fighting in high level international and Korean domestic competitions.
by the 120th IOC Session.
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
athlete from South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. He won a gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
at the 2004 Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
held in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece, in the heavyweight division after knocking out Greece's Alexandros Nikolaidis
Alexandros Nikolaidis
Alexandros Nikolaidis is an Olympic taekwondo athlete from Greece. Initially the favorite, he eventually won the silver medal at the 2004 Olympics held in Athens after losing from his opponent and eventual gold medalist, Moon Dae-Sung of South Korea.On March 24, 2008 Alexandros Nikolaidis had the...
with a reverse kick.
Career
He entered Dong-A University on a taekwondo scholarship in 1995 and performed consistently well in national competitions during his college years, though usually overshadowed by the dominant heavyweight champion Kim Je-Gyoung.Upon graduation from Dong-A University
Dong-A University
Dong-A University is a major private university in Korea. The university's campuses are based in Greater Busan, the second-largest city in South Korea. About 19,000 students are enrolled...
in Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
in 1999, Moon became a member of the Samsung Corporation
Samsung Group
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
Professional Taekwondo team. Many considered Moon to be the next Kim Je-Gyoung, two time Olympic Gold Medalist and also a member of the Samsung Professional Team and graduate of Dong-A University
Dong-A University
Dong-A University is a major private university in Korea. The university's campuses are based in Greater Busan, the second-largest city in South Korea. About 19,000 students are enrolled...
, in the heavyweight division of the Korean National team.
Since his high profile win at the Athens Olympic Games, Moon has become a well known celebrity in South Korea, owing to the spectacular performance in the Gold Medal round, his striking good looks, and tall stature. He has become the official Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
Automobile Company's spokesman and has made numerous television and public appearances.
Notable abilities which make him an elite and consistent athlete are: Left leg roundhouse kick, left leg back kick and reverse (with which he knocked out Alexandros Nikolaidis
Alexandros Nikolaidis
Alexandros Nikolaidis is an Olympic taekwondo athlete from Greece. Initially the favorite, he eventually won the silver medal at the 2004 Olympics held in Athens after losing from his opponent and eventual gold medalist, Moon Dae-Sung of South Korea.On March 24, 2008 Alexandros Nikolaidis had the...
) as well as a solid grasp of other core techniques indispensable to fighting in high level international and Korean domestic competitions.
Post career
In August 2008 he was elected as a member of the International Olympic CommitteeInternational Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
by the 120th IOC Session.