Tina Morgan
Encyclopedia
Tina Michelle Tanrıkulu is an Australian taekwondo
coach and former international competitor. She currently works as the coach for Turkish taekwondo club Ankaragücü
. She represented her country at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, placing fifth in the latter competition. In 2006, she became the first Australian taekwondo competitor to win a World Cup title.
as a child and completed her secondary schooling at Woodvale Senior High School. She recalls first having been inspired to become an Olympic athlete when watching the weightlifting competition at the 1988 Summer Olympics
. Originally, she had planned to compete in gymnastics, but was told she would grow too tall; she then tried other sports.
In 1994, Morgan was inspired to begin training in taekwondo after watching her brother training in the martial art at the local gymnasium. During her school years, she was also a Western Australian state champion in competitive aerobics, as well as playing football
, netball, and tennis.
Morgan earned a tertiary diploma
in tourism management in Victoria and a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from the University of Southern Queensland
. At national and international level, she trained in taekwondo at the Western Australian Institute of Sport
and the Victorian Institute of Sport
. Her Olympic coaches have included Jin-Tae Jeong (from 2002–2004) and Daniel Trenton
(from 2005–2008).
in Athens (+67 kg) and the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing (–67 kg). Morgan lost her first match in Athens against Brazilian athlete Natália Falavigna da Silva
. In 2006, Morgan became the first Australian taekwondo athlete to win a World Cup Title and to be ranked Number 1 in the world in her division.
Morgan managed to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics despite sustaining a major knee injury less than a year before Olympic Qualifications, with orthopaedic Surgeon Hayden Morris performing a repair operation using donor tissue to reduce recovery time. The operation involved transplanting a deceased person's patella tendon
into Morgan's knee. Her hopes of fighting for a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics were dashed when she lost a third-round match to Canadian Karine Sergerie
on decision. Morgan eventually placed fifth after she lost the bronze medal match against French competitor Gwladys Épangue 4-1.
in Perth. At the time, Morgan said that she was looking forward to coaching future taekwondo competitors.
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"...
coach and former international competitor. She currently works as the coach for Turkish taekwondo club Ankaragücü
Ankaragücü
MKE Ankaragücü is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Ankara. The club wears a yellow and navy kit and play their home matches at Ankara 19 Mayis....
. She represented her country at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, placing fifth in the latter competition. In 2006, she became the first Australian taekwondo competitor to win a World Cup title.
Early life
Morgan was born on 10 August 1982 in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. She moved to PerthPerth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
as a child and completed her secondary schooling at Woodvale Senior High School. She recalls first having been inspired to become an Olympic athlete when watching the weightlifting competition at the 1988 Summer Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
. Originally, she had planned to compete in gymnastics, but was told she would grow too tall; she then tried other sports.
In 1994, Morgan was inspired to begin training in taekwondo after watching her brother training in the martial art at the local gymnasium. During her school years, she was also a Western Australian state champion in competitive aerobics, as well as playing football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
, netball, and tennis.
Morgan earned a tertiary diploma
Technical and Further Education
In Australia, training and further education or TAFE institutions provide a wide range of predominantly vocational tertiary education courses, mostly qualifying courses under the National Training System/Australian Qualifications Framework/Australian Quality Training Framework...
in tourism management in Victoria and a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from the University of Southern Queensland
University of Southern Queensland
The University of Southern Queensland is based in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. The institution was established in 1967 as the Queensland Institute of Technology...
. At national and international level, she trained in taekwondo at the Western Australian Institute of Sport
Western Australian Institute of Sport
The Western Australian Institute of Sport is an elite sports institute set up in 1983 by the Government of Western Australia to support athletes in Western Australia...
and the Victorian Institute of Sport
Victorian Institute of Sport
The Victorian Institute of Sport is the government-funded sporting institute of the Australian state of Victoria. It runs a number of programs for sports training. The headquarters are located in Melbourne. The inaugural executive director of the institute was Frank Pyke....
. Her Olympic coaches have included Jin-Tae Jeong (from 2002–2004) and Daniel Trenton
Daniel Trenton
Daniel Trenton is an Australian taekwondo coach and formerly represented his country in the sport at international level. He won a silver medal in the heavyweight division of men's taekwondo at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney...
(from 2005–2008).
Competitive taekwondo career
Morgan was listed at 173 cm (5' 8") in height and 64 kg (141 lb.) in weight. She competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics2004 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...
in Athens (+67 kg) and the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing (–67 kg). Morgan lost her first match in Athens against Brazilian athlete Natália Falavigna da Silva
Natália Falavigna
Natália Falavigna da Silva is a taekwondo athlete from Brazil. She finished in the fourth place in the women's 67-kilogram category in taekwondo at the 2004 Summer Olympics on August 26, and won the bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics...
. In 2006, Morgan became the first Australian taekwondo athlete to win a World Cup Title and to be ranked Number 1 in the world in her division.
Morgan managed to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics despite sustaining a major knee injury less than a year before Olympic Qualifications, with orthopaedic Surgeon Hayden Morris performing a repair operation using donor tissue to reduce recovery time. The operation involved transplanting a deceased person's patella tendon
Tendon
A tendon is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue that usually connects muscle to bone and is capable of withstanding tension. Tendons are similar to ligaments and fasciae as they are all made of collagen except that ligaments join one bone to another bone, and fasciae connect muscles to other...
into Morgan's knee. Her hopes of fighting for a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics were dashed when she lost a third-round match to Canadian Karine Sergerie
Karine Sergerie
Karine Sergerie is the 2007 world champion in women's 67 kg Taekwondo. She is Canada's first female world champion in the sport. -Biography:...
on decision. Morgan eventually placed fifth after she lost the bronze medal match against French competitor Gwladys Épangue 4-1.
Post-competition career
On 29 January 2009, Morgan married Turkish taekwondo competitor and Olympic silver medallist Bahri TanrıkuluBahri Tanrikulu
Bahri Tanrıkulu is a Turkish taekwondo practitioner, who competed in the Men's 80 kg class at the 2004 Summer Olympics held in Athens, Greece and won the silver medal....
in Perth. At the time, Morgan said that she was looking forward to coaching future taekwondo competitors.
External links
- Fox Sports: Tina Morgan contains a photograph of Morgan (July 2008).