From http://mookas.us/media_view.asp?news_no=1396
Testing Fee Tax Investigation Expected to Impact Leaders
Kukiwon Taekwondo testing fees incur a 'Profitable Business' tax investigation which will determine the fate of Kukiwon. The investigation began last September 8. and will continue with strong investigations until the 25th. According to the internal Kukiwon report, the IRS will investigate for the reasons, "Under the National Tax Law, Kukiwon prevents 'value-added tax' for the purpose of being a nonprofit organization, but the revenue it benefits from the testing fees and other fees received from applicants categorize the organization as a Profit Business", the Korean IRS said. Kukiwon has submitted a petition to Seo Byeong Su, head of the tax investigation. In the petition, it is stated that Kukiwon meet the Korean Standard Industrial Classification, and also the IRS has no evidence for the charges, and lastly that Kukiwon is a public interest organization to serve public good.A key Kukiwon official said, "After this tax investigation, IRS will go after KTA and city associations...,if testing fees force Kukiwon to be a Profit Business, same can be said for KTA and others. This can lead to economic loss and impact even the students". He added, "IRS needs to recognize that testing fees does not void the fact that Kukiwon is a nonprofit organization, for the purposes of public interest IRS should acknowledge the necessity of testing fees for business purposes, also an authoritative interpretation of testing fees as business profits should be repealed. In addition, the unfair tax investigation of Kukiwon must stop immediately", he said.This investigation is being closely monitored by the masters. One Kukiwon official said, "if testing fees require taxes, this will directly impact the TKD community, but mainly the Masters who run the dojangs". Grandmaster Han who has ran his dojang for over 10 years commented, "with the struggling economy, parents are already complaining about the testing fee of $120 (1 dan). If we need to impose additional fees, how can we not complain". TKD testing is the only business purpose Kukiwon holds, and they provide the registration certificates which include: registration fee of $7.10 (1 dan), KTA referral fee of ($2.60). Other organizations charge $7.80 for testing fee, but you have to include gym fees and training fees.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
USA Olympic Taekwondo Summary
Information taken from http://www.usa-taekwondo.us/
Steven Lopez Rebounds to Win Olympic Bronze Medal
August 22, 2008
After suffering his first-ever defeat in three Olympic Games, and first loss in six years, welterweight Steven Lopez (Sugar Land, Texas) rebounded to win a bronze medal Friday night at the Beijing University of Science and Technology Gymnasium. Italy's Mauro Sarmiento, the eventual silver medalist, defeated Lopez in sudden-death overtime in the quarterfinal round. When Sarmiento advanced to the finals, Lopez was entered into the repechage for one of two bronze medals. Lopez defeated Sebastien Konan from the Ivory Coast, 3-0, and then defeated Azerbaijan's Rashad Ahmadov for the bronze medal, 3-2. Iran's Hadi Saei won the gold medal."I came here expecting to win a gold medal, but I guess it wasn't in the cards today," said Lopez. "I should have been in the finals. It's hard, but I'm happy with the bronze. It's better than nothing. I have two ways to look at it, either succumb to it and think 'I should have been in the finals', but a champion goes out there with dignity and I wanted to prove to myself and others that I am the best."Lopez also said he plans to compete again at the 2012 Olympics."It encourages me to keep going," he said about his future. "I am upset. I love winning, I hate losing. And in no way does this discourage me from wanting to go to the 2012 Olympic Games."The bronze medal gives the Lopez siblings three medals at the Beijing Games. Diana Lopez captured bronze in the women's featherweight division and Mark Lopez was the silver medalist in the men's featherweight class."We are extremely happy with our athletes' performance and effort here in Beijing," said USA Taekwondo CEO David Askinas. "In this most historic Olympics we made history with one family winning three Olympic medals. Steven, Mark and Diana are true champions of the sport. Under difficult circumstances they fought hard and represented our country with honor and dignity. We understand that taekwondo is a difficult sport to officiate. Our federation has issues they need to confront. Nonetheless, my sincere disappointment I feel for our athletes is tempered by the knowledge that they have strived and achieved great things. This, of course, includes our future star Charlotte Craig. She was a great teammate and gave her all, just falling short of the semis by one point. We all expect great things from her in the future."NOTE: The views expressed by the U.S. Olympic Head of Team for Taekwondo, as published in some news articles regarding the Olympic taekwondo competition, do not necessarily reflect the views of USA Taekwondo. USAT continues to work with the World Taekwondo Federation to ensure a level playing field for all athletes.
Mark Lopez Takes Olympic Silver Medal, Diana Lopez Wins Bronze
August 21, 2008
Men's featherweight Mark Lopez (Sugar Land, Texas) took the Olympic silver medal on Thursday at the Beijing University of Science and Technology Gymnasium. Lopez lost the gold medal match to Korea's Son Taejin, 3-2, after Taejin scored the winning point in the final seconds of the third round."Of course I wanted the gold medal," said Mark Lopez. "I came here for the gold medal but I got silver and you've got to be happy with that."Mark's younger sister, Diana Lopez (Sugar Land, Texas), also captured an Olympic medal on Thursday winning the bronze medal in the women's featherweight division. She defeated Italy's Veronica Calabrese in sudden death overtime to claim the medal."I am just so happy, so emotional," Diana Lopez said. "To compete at this level and at this venue is an honor."Eldest brother Jean Lopez, coached both his younger siblings to their podium finishes."This time she really honed in on what I've been saying to her," Jean Lopez said about Diana's bronze medal bout. "I said she didn't have this oppportunity before and it might not be something that she gets the opportunity to do again. I told her that the medal is her hardware. Her kids will brag about this medal and her grandkids will brag about this medal."The fourth member of the Lopez family, men's welterweight Steven Lopez, will try for his third straight Olympic gold medal on Friday. His first match is at 11:30 a.m. (11:30 p.m. EDT Thursday). All matches can be seen live at http://www.nbcolympics.com/.
Charlotte Craig Does Not Advance to Olympic Repechage
August 20, 2008
After losing her quarterfinal match of the Olympic Games on Wednesday to Venezuela's Dalia Contreras Rivero, 3-2, flyweight Charlotte Craig (Murietta, Calif.), 17, was forced to play a two-hour waiting game to see if she would qualify for the repechage round and a chance for a bronze medal. But when Contreras Rivero lost on a referee superiority decision in the semifinals to Thailand's Butree Puedpong, after the two fought a scoreless overtime period, Craig was eliminated from the competition."I figured her strategy was to wait for me and my game is to be aggressive," said Craig of her quarterfinal match with Contreras Rivero."My problem was that she got the first point so I had to push it."Craig was obviously disappointed with the day's outcome, saying she was more nervous waiting around for the chance at the repechage than she was competing in the ring, but she carries with her an Olympic Games experience."I'm just happy I got a chance to represent my country," Craig said.Taekwondo competition continues on Thursday with featherweights Diana and Mark Lopez (Sugar Land, Texas) in action for the U.S. Diana's first match is at 10:00 a.m. (Wednesday 10:00 p.m. EDT) against Thailand's Premwaew Chonnapas, while Mark Lopez faces Afghanistan's Nesar Ahmad Behave at 11:30 a.m. (Wednesday 11:30 p.m. EDT) in the first round.All matches can be seen live at www.NBCOlympics.com.
Charlotte Craig Advances to Quarterfinals of Olympic Games
August 20, 2008
Olympic flyweight Charlotte Craig (Murietta, Calif.) started off her Olympic competition with a 4-0 win over Switzerland's Manuela Bezzola at the Beijing University of Science and Technology Gymnasium. Craig built a 3-0 lead in the first round and maintained control throughout the remainder of the contest. "I set it up pretty well, took my time," said Craig of her scoring during the match. "When I saw she was in my distance, I attacked."Craig moves on to the quarterfinals to face Venezuela's Dalia Contreras Rivero who defeated Craig last December in the semifinals of the Pan Am Olympic Qualifier, 5-3. That match will take place at 3:30 p.m. (3:30 a.m. EDT) and can be seen live at www.NBCOlympics.com.
Olympic Taekwondo Competition Kicks Off in BeijingAugust 18, 2008Olympic Taekwondo competition gets underway Wednesday at the Beijing University of Science and Technology Gymnasium with action in the men’s and women’s Olympic flyweight divisions. The Olympic competition consists of a single-elimination tournament with a repechage for the two bronze medals. Read Preview
The draw for the Olympic taekwondo competition has concluded and the brackets for each of the Americans are listed below:Women's 49kgWomen's 57kgMen's 68kgMen's 80kg
Steven Lopez Rebounds to Win Olympic Bronze Medal
August 22, 2008
After suffering his first-ever defeat in three Olympic Games, and first loss in six years, welterweight Steven Lopez (Sugar Land, Texas) rebounded to win a bronze medal Friday night at the Beijing University of Science and Technology Gymnasium. Italy's Mauro Sarmiento, the eventual silver medalist, defeated Lopez in sudden-death overtime in the quarterfinal round. When Sarmiento advanced to the finals, Lopez was entered into the repechage for one of two bronze medals. Lopez defeated Sebastien Konan from the Ivory Coast, 3-0, and then defeated Azerbaijan's Rashad Ahmadov for the bronze medal, 3-2. Iran's Hadi Saei won the gold medal."I came here expecting to win a gold medal, but I guess it wasn't in the cards today," said Lopez. "I should have been in the finals. It's hard, but I'm happy with the bronze. It's better than nothing. I have two ways to look at it, either succumb to it and think 'I should have been in the finals', but a champion goes out there with dignity and I wanted to prove to myself and others that I am the best."Lopez also said he plans to compete again at the 2012 Olympics."It encourages me to keep going," he said about his future. "I am upset. I love winning, I hate losing. And in no way does this discourage me from wanting to go to the 2012 Olympic Games."The bronze medal gives the Lopez siblings three medals at the Beijing Games. Diana Lopez captured bronze in the women's featherweight division and Mark Lopez was the silver medalist in the men's featherweight class."We are extremely happy with our athletes' performance and effort here in Beijing," said USA Taekwondo CEO David Askinas. "In this most historic Olympics we made history with one family winning three Olympic medals. Steven, Mark and Diana are true champions of the sport. Under difficult circumstances they fought hard and represented our country with honor and dignity. We understand that taekwondo is a difficult sport to officiate. Our federation has issues they need to confront. Nonetheless, my sincere disappointment I feel for our athletes is tempered by the knowledge that they have strived and achieved great things. This, of course, includes our future star Charlotte Craig. She was a great teammate and gave her all, just falling short of the semis by one point. We all expect great things from her in the future."NOTE: The views expressed by the U.S. Olympic Head of Team for Taekwondo, as published in some news articles regarding the Olympic taekwondo competition, do not necessarily reflect the views of USA Taekwondo. USAT continues to work with the World Taekwondo Federation to ensure a level playing field for all athletes.
Mark Lopez Takes Olympic Silver Medal, Diana Lopez Wins Bronze
August 21, 2008
Men's featherweight Mark Lopez (Sugar Land, Texas) took the Olympic silver medal on Thursday at the Beijing University of Science and Technology Gymnasium. Lopez lost the gold medal match to Korea's Son Taejin, 3-2, after Taejin scored the winning point in the final seconds of the third round."Of course I wanted the gold medal," said Mark Lopez. "I came here for the gold medal but I got silver and you've got to be happy with that."Mark's younger sister, Diana Lopez (Sugar Land, Texas), also captured an Olympic medal on Thursday winning the bronze medal in the women's featherweight division. She defeated Italy's Veronica Calabrese in sudden death overtime to claim the medal."I am just so happy, so emotional," Diana Lopez said. "To compete at this level and at this venue is an honor."Eldest brother Jean Lopez, coached both his younger siblings to their podium finishes."This time she really honed in on what I've been saying to her," Jean Lopez said about Diana's bronze medal bout. "I said she didn't have this oppportunity before and it might not be something that she gets the opportunity to do again. I told her that the medal is her hardware. Her kids will brag about this medal and her grandkids will brag about this medal."The fourth member of the Lopez family, men's welterweight Steven Lopez, will try for his third straight Olympic gold medal on Friday. His first match is at 11:30 a.m. (11:30 p.m. EDT Thursday). All matches can be seen live at http://www.nbcolympics.com/.
Charlotte Craig Does Not Advance to Olympic Repechage
August 20, 2008
After losing her quarterfinal match of the Olympic Games on Wednesday to Venezuela's Dalia Contreras Rivero, 3-2, flyweight Charlotte Craig (Murietta, Calif.), 17, was forced to play a two-hour waiting game to see if she would qualify for the repechage round and a chance for a bronze medal. But when Contreras Rivero lost on a referee superiority decision in the semifinals to Thailand's Butree Puedpong, after the two fought a scoreless overtime period, Craig was eliminated from the competition."I figured her strategy was to wait for me and my game is to be aggressive," said Craig of her quarterfinal match with Contreras Rivero."My problem was that she got the first point so I had to push it."Craig was obviously disappointed with the day's outcome, saying she was more nervous waiting around for the chance at the repechage than she was competing in the ring, but she carries with her an Olympic Games experience."I'm just happy I got a chance to represent my country," Craig said.Taekwondo competition continues on Thursday with featherweights Diana and Mark Lopez (Sugar Land, Texas) in action for the U.S. Diana's first match is at 10:00 a.m. (Wednesday 10:00 p.m. EDT) against Thailand's Premwaew Chonnapas, while Mark Lopez faces Afghanistan's Nesar Ahmad Behave at 11:30 a.m. (Wednesday 11:30 p.m. EDT) in the first round.All matches can be seen live at www.NBCOlympics.com.
Charlotte Craig Advances to Quarterfinals of Olympic Games
August 20, 2008
Olympic flyweight Charlotte Craig (Murietta, Calif.) started off her Olympic competition with a 4-0 win over Switzerland's Manuela Bezzola at the Beijing University of Science and Technology Gymnasium. Craig built a 3-0 lead in the first round and maintained control throughout the remainder of the contest. "I set it up pretty well, took my time," said Craig of her scoring during the match. "When I saw she was in my distance, I attacked."Craig moves on to the quarterfinals to face Venezuela's Dalia Contreras Rivero who defeated Craig last December in the semifinals of the Pan Am Olympic Qualifier, 5-3. That match will take place at 3:30 p.m. (3:30 a.m. EDT) and can be seen live at www.NBCOlympics.com.
Olympic Taekwondo Competition Kicks Off in BeijingAugust 18, 2008Olympic Taekwondo competition gets underway Wednesday at the Beijing University of Science and Technology Gymnasium with action in the men’s and women’s Olympic flyweight divisions. The Olympic competition consists of a single-elimination tournament with a repechage for the two bronze medals. Read Preview
The draw for the Olympic taekwondo competition has concluded and the brackets for each of the Americans are listed below:Women's 49kgWomen's 57kgMen's 68kgMen's 80kg
Lopez bronze after first loss in 6 years
http://www.nbcolympics.com/taekwondo/news/newsid=247167.html#lopez+bronze+after+first+loss+years
Iran's Saei wins gold; Korea adds a third in two days
By the Associated Press
Posted Friday, August 22, 2008 3:48 AM ET
BEIJING (AP) -- Hwang Kyung-seon won South Korea its third gold medal in taekwondo on Friday, and Iran's Hadi Saei captured the men's 80-kilogram-class after an upset sent favorite Steven Lopez of the United States to a quarterfinal loss.
JUNG YEON-JE/Getty Images
Steven Lopez (blue) of the US fights with Mauro Sarmiento (red) of Italy in the quarterfinal round. Lopez lost the match - his first loss since 2002.
Lopez, the defending Athens gold medalist, came back to add a bronze to the silver and bronze won by his younger brother and sister on Thursday.
Saei, who won the gold in a lower weight class in the 2004 Games, went ahead in the first round against Italy's Mauro Sarmiento, but Sarmiento hit him squarely with a head kick to take a 4-2 lead.
Saei landed a kick in the second round to move within a point, then another to Sarmiento's side to tie the score 4-4 going into the final round. He came out quickly in the third, scoring another point for the lead and added on a sixth point to seal the victory.
Lopez scored on Rashad Ahmadov of Azerbaijan in the final seconds to win bronze. The second bronze went to Zhu Guo of China, who defeated Aaron Cook of Britain 4-1.
Saei moved easily through his group, taking his first match with a 7-point margin, then winning 3-2 over Zhu and 4-1 in the semis against Ahmadov.
Sarmiento - coming off a leg injury that has slowed him since 2006 - narrowly made it to the semis by defeating Lopez in a quarterfinal that went into overtime.
Videos
Athens 2004: Steven Lopez
The American wins his second Olympic gold medal
Top kicks: Day one
Top kicks: Day two
Photos
Lopezes add medals in Beijing
Beginning with the Opening Ceremony, check out the Lopezes (of taekwondo fame) as they compete for a fresh haul of medals.
Related Stories
Steven Lopez
Steven Lopez quick hits
Diana Lopez
Mark Lopez
Lopez, who hadn't lost a bout since 2002, was the heavy favorite.
Lopez fought Bahri Tanrikulu of Turkey in his opening bout, a rematch of their final in the Athens Games.
After a scoreless first round, Tanrikulu, a two-time world champion, hit with a roundhouse kick with 20 seconds to go in the second round to take the lead. Lopez came back at the start of round three to score two points and added another to go ahead 3-1. Tanrikulu had a point deducted just before the bell and the match ended 3-0 for Lopez.
But Lopez' luck then ran out.
He led 2-0 going into the final round of the quarters, but was scored on and then dropped a point for a penalty to go into overtime with Sarmiento. With time running out, Sarmiento nailed Lopez with a jumping kick as the Texan lunged forward.
The U.S. team protested the point deduction in the third round, saying it was a legal defensive move and not an illegal chop kick, but the protest was not accepted.
"We were manhandled, we were threatened not to protest, but we continued out of good faith," said team leader Herb Perez. "We don't feel we were given a level playing field."
Though they fell short of the golds, the Lopez family made U.S. Olympic history.
On Thursday, Lopez brother Mark won a silver in men's 68-kg and sister Diana a bronze in women's 57-kg.
They are the first three siblings to compete for the United States in the same Olympics since the gymnasts Edward, William and Richard Tritschler competed in St. Louis in 1904 but failed to medal.
In Friday's women's final, Hwang defeated Canada's Karine Sergerie with a kick in the final seconds to win the women's 67-kg class.
Hwang, launching few attacks, trailed Sergerie by a kick as the first round ended, but came back with 30 seconds left in the second round to tie it up. She scored with a back kick with 35 seconds left to win.
Hwang, who was the Athens bronze medalist and world champion in 2005 and 2007, cruised through her opening bout with a 5-1 score.
She fought a cautious quarterfinal but went ahead in the second round and used a counterattack kick in the third to win 3-1. In the semi, she squared off with longtime rival Gwladys Epangue of France. She won in overtime.
The bronze medals went to Epangue and Sandra Saric of Croatia.
Iran's Saei wins gold; Korea adds a third in two days
By the Associated Press
Posted Friday, August 22, 2008 3:48 AM ET
BEIJING (AP) -- Hwang Kyung-seon won South Korea its third gold medal in taekwondo on Friday, and Iran's Hadi Saei captured the men's 80-kilogram-class after an upset sent favorite Steven Lopez of the United States to a quarterfinal loss.
JUNG YEON-JE/Getty Images
Steven Lopez (blue) of the US fights with Mauro Sarmiento (red) of Italy in the quarterfinal round. Lopez lost the match - his first loss since 2002.
Lopez, the defending Athens gold medalist, came back to add a bronze to the silver and bronze won by his younger brother and sister on Thursday.
Saei, who won the gold in a lower weight class in the 2004 Games, went ahead in the first round against Italy's Mauro Sarmiento, but Sarmiento hit him squarely with a head kick to take a 4-2 lead.
Saei landed a kick in the second round to move within a point, then another to Sarmiento's side to tie the score 4-4 going into the final round. He came out quickly in the third, scoring another point for the lead and added on a sixth point to seal the victory.
Lopez scored on Rashad Ahmadov of Azerbaijan in the final seconds to win bronze. The second bronze went to Zhu Guo of China, who defeated Aaron Cook of Britain 4-1.
Saei moved easily through his group, taking his first match with a 7-point margin, then winning 3-2 over Zhu and 4-1 in the semis against Ahmadov.
Sarmiento - coming off a leg injury that has slowed him since 2006 - narrowly made it to the semis by defeating Lopez in a quarterfinal that went into overtime.
Videos
Athens 2004: Steven Lopez
The American wins his second Olympic gold medal
Top kicks: Day one
Top kicks: Day two
Photos
Lopezes add medals in Beijing
Beginning with the Opening Ceremony, check out the Lopezes (of taekwondo fame) as they compete for a fresh haul of medals.
Related Stories
Steven Lopez
Steven Lopez quick hits
Diana Lopez
Mark Lopez
Lopez, who hadn't lost a bout since 2002, was the heavy favorite.
Lopez fought Bahri Tanrikulu of Turkey in his opening bout, a rematch of their final in the Athens Games.
After a scoreless first round, Tanrikulu, a two-time world champion, hit with a roundhouse kick with 20 seconds to go in the second round to take the lead. Lopez came back at the start of round three to score two points and added another to go ahead 3-1. Tanrikulu had a point deducted just before the bell and the match ended 3-0 for Lopez.
But Lopez' luck then ran out.
He led 2-0 going into the final round of the quarters, but was scored on and then dropped a point for a penalty to go into overtime with Sarmiento. With time running out, Sarmiento nailed Lopez with a jumping kick as the Texan lunged forward.
The U.S. team protested the point deduction in the third round, saying it was a legal defensive move and not an illegal chop kick, but the protest was not accepted.
"We were manhandled, we were threatened not to protest, but we continued out of good faith," said team leader Herb Perez. "We don't feel we were given a level playing field."
Though they fell short of the golds, the Lopez family made U.S. Olympic history.
On Thursday, Lopez brother Mark won a silver in men's 68-kg and sister Diana a bronze in women's 57-kg.
They are the first three siblings to compete for the United States in the same Olympics since the gymnasts Edward, William and Richard Tritschler competed in St. Louis in 1904 but failed to medal.
In Friday's women's final, Hwang defeated Canada's Karine Sergerie with a kick in the final seconds to win the women's 67-kg class.
Hwang, launching few attacks, trailed Sergerie by a kick as the first round ended, but came back with 30 seconds left in the second round to tie it up. She scored with a back kick with 35 seconds left to win.
Hwang, who was the Athens bronze medalist and world champion in 2005 and 2007, cruised through her opening bout with a 5-1 score.
She fought a cautious quarterfinal but went ahead in the second round and used a counterattack kick in the third to win 3-1. In the semi, she squared off with longtime rival Gwladys Epangue of France. She won in overtime.
The bronze medals went to Epangue and Sandra Saric of Croatia.
Kicked out: Cuban banned for life
http://www.nbcolympics.com/taekwondo/news/newsid=251304.html#kicked+out+cuban+banned+life
By the Associated Press
Posted Saturday, August 23, 2008 5:42 AM ET
BEIJING (AP) -- Cuba's Angel Matos deliberately kicked a referee square in the face after he was disqualified in a bronze-medal match, prompting the World Taekwondo Federation to recommend he be banned for life.
Cuba's Angel Matos has been disqualified for life after kicking a referee in the Men's 80Kg Bronze medal match
"We didn't expect anything like what you have witnessed to occur," said WTF secretary general Yang Jin-suk. "I am at a loss for words."
Yang also recommended Matos' coach be banned.
Matos was winning 3-2, with 1:02 left in the second round, when he fell to the mat after being hit by his opponent, Kazakhstan's Arman Chilmanov. Matos was sitting there, awaiting medical attention, when he was disqualified for taking too much injury time. Fighters get one minute, and Matos was disqualified when his time ran out.
Matos angrily questioned the call, pushed a judge, then pushed and kicked referee Chakir Chelbat of Sweden, who will require stitches in his lip. Matos spat on the floor and was escorted out.
"This is an insult to the Olympic vision, an insult to the spirit of taekwondo and, in my opinion, an insult to mankind," Yang said.
Matos' coach was unapologetic.
"He was too strict," Leudis Gonzalez said, referring to the decision to disqualify Matos. Afterward, he charged the match was fixed, accusing the Kazakhs of offering him money.
Although the arena announcer said Matos and his coach were banned effective immediately, Yang said due process must be followed before officially banning the two.
In his first match, Matos defeated Italy's Leonardo Basile, then beat China's Liu Xiaobo 2-1 in the quarterfinals. But he lost to South Korean Cha Dong-min in the semis to land in the bronze-medal match. "To me it was obvious he was unable to continue," Chilmanov said. "His toe on his left foot was broken."
But Chilmanov added: "Rules are rules. I'm happy with my medal."
Matos won the gold medal in this division - the men's over 80-kilograms (176 pounds) - at the 2000 Sydney Games, dedicating the victory to his mother, who died on the day of the opening ceremony. At the 2004 Athens Games, he finished 11th.
Matos' bad behavior followed a day of confusion on the mats and ended the four-day taekwondo competition, which was marred by several protests against judge's calls.
Earlier Saturday, China's double gold medalist Chen Zhong crashed out in the quarterfinals after initially being declared the winner.
World champion Maria del Rosario Espinoza, the eventual winner in the women's over 67-kilogram (147.4 pounds) class, was to fight Chen in the semifinals but the judges overturned an earlier ruling and made Britain's Sarah Stevenson the winner of the quarterfinal bout in which Chen scored in the closing seconds of the second round and then Stevenson tagged her with a head kick - worth two points - in the third.
The judges ruled Stevenson's kick wasn't solid enough for points, and Chen was declared the winner 1-0. After Britain protested, the result was changed to put Stevenson in the semifinal.
The decision brought loud jeers from the crowd. China did not appeal.
It was the first time a match result has been overturned since taekwondo became an official Olympic sport in 1990.
"It's been a really tough day, an emotional rollercoaster," Stevenson said. "I would have been devastated if they hadn't changed the decision."
Stevenson won bronze, along with Brazil's Natalia Falavigna.
Cha made it four-for-four gold medals for South Korea. In taekwondo, countries are allowed to enter only four athletes.
Cha fell behind when Alexandros Nikolaidis of Greece nailed him with a head kick 15 seconds into the bout. But he came back with a body kick and a head shot of his own to take back the lead, adding another point to go 4-3 going into the third round.
Nikolaidis evened it out at 4-4 with a body kick, but Cha scored with just 18 seconds left to claim the gold in the men's over-80 kg (176 pounds) division.
Nikolaidis said he felt the judging was bad in the gold-medal match as well.
"I don't think in press conferences we should discuss referees and things," he said. "But I think I deserved a couple of things that didn't come to me."
Daba Modibo Keita of Mali, the 2007 world champion, was defeated in overtime in the quarterfinals by Nigeria's Chika Yagazie Chukwumerije, who ended up with the other bronze.
By the Associated Press
Posted Saturday, August 23, 2008 5:42 AM ET
BEIJING (AP) -- Cuba's Angel Matos deliberately kicked a referee square in the face after he was disqualified in a bronze-medal match, prompting the World Taekwondo Federation to recommend he be banned for life.
Cuba's Angel Matos has been disqualified for life after kicking a referee in the Men's 80Kg Bronze medal match
"We didn't expect anything like what you have witnessed to occur," said WTF secretary general Yang Jin-suk. "I am at a loss for words."
Yang also recommended Matos' coach be banned.
Matos was winning 3-2, with 1:02 left in the second round, when he fell to the mat after being hit by his opponent, Kazakhstan's Arman Chilmanov. Matos was sitting there, awaiting medical attention, when he was disqualified for taking too much injury time. Fighters get one minute, and Matos was disqualified when his time ran out.
Matos angrily questioned the call, pushed a judge, then pushed and kicked referee Chakir Chelbat of Sweden, who will require stitches in his lip. Matos spat on the floor and was escorted out.
"This is an insult to the Olympic vision, an insult to the spirit of taekwondo and, in my opinion, an insult to mankind," Yang said.
Matos' coach was unapologetic.
"He was too strict," Leudis Gonzalez said, referring to the decision to disqualify Matos. Afterward, he charged the match was fixed, accusing the Kazakhs of offering him money.
Although the arena announcer said Matos and his coach were banned effective immediately, Yang said due process must be followed before officially banning the two.
In his first match, Matos defeated Italy's Leonardo Basile, then beat China's Liu Xiaobo 2-1 in the quarterfinals. But he lost to South Korean Cha Dong-min in the semis to land in the bronze-medal match. "To me it was obvious he was unable to continue," Chilmanov said. "His toe on his left foot was broken."
But Chilmanov added: "Rules are rules. I'm happy with my medal."
Matos won the gold medal in this division - the men's over 80-kilograms (176 pounds) - at the 2000 Sydney Games, dedicating the victory to his mother, who died on the day of the opening ceremony. At the 2004 Athens Games, he finished 11th.
Matos' bad behavior followed a day of confusion on the mats and ended the four-day taekwondo competition, which was marred by several protests against judge's calls.
Earlier Saturday, China's double gold medalist Chen Zhong crashed out in the quarterfinals after initially being declared the winner.
World champion Maria del Rosario Espinoza, the eventual winner in the women's over 67-kilogram (147.4 pounds) class, was to fight Chen in the semifinals but the judges overturned an earlier ruling and made Britain's Sarah Stevenson the winner of the quarterfinal bout in which Chen scored in the closing seconds of the second round and then Stevenson tagged her with a head kick - worth two points - in the third.
The judges ruled Stevenson's kick wasn't solid enough for points, and Chen was declared the winner 1-0. After Britain protested, the result was changed to put Stevenson in the semifinal.
The decision brought loud jeers from the crowd. China did not appeal.
It was the first time a match result has been overturned since taekwondo became an official Olympic sport in 1990.
"It's been a really tough day, an emotional rollercoaster," Stevenson said. "I would have been devastated if they hadn't changed the decision."
Stevenson won bronze, along with Brazil's Natalia Falavigna.
Cha made it four-for-four gold medals for South Korea. In taekwondo, countries are allowed to enter only four athletes.
Cha fell behind when Alexandros Nikolaidis of Greece nailed him with a head kick 15 seconds into the bout. But he came back with a body kick and a head shot of his own to take back the lead, adding another point to go 4-3 going into the third round.
Nikolaidis evened it out at 4-4 with a body kick, but Cha scored with just 18 seconds left to claim the gold in the men's over-80 kg (176 pounds) division.
Nikolaidis said he felt the judging was bad in the gold-medal match as well.
"I don't think in press conferences we should discuss referees and things," he said. "But I think I deserved a couple of things that didn't come to me."
Daba Modibo Keita of Mali, the 2007 world champion, was defeated in overtime in the quarterfinals by Nigeria's Chika Yagazie Chukwumerije, who ended up with the other bronze.
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