China's Zhao Shuai rues missed chance in men's 68kg taekwondo semifinal

TOKYO, June 25 (Xinhua) -- China's taekwondo star Zhao Shuai admitted that he wasted his opportunity in his Olympic semifinal defeat to Britain's Bradly Sinden here on Sunday.

Zhao, who made history by winning China's first Olympic gold in men's taekwondo at Rio 2016, took a comfortable 16-9 lead by the end of the second round. However, he succumbed to pressure in the dying seconds of the third round, losing 33-25 and relinquishing the final berth to the Briton.

The 25-year-old managed to win a bronze in the men's 68kg category playoff with a 17-15 victory over South Korea's Lee Dae-hoon.

"I am sorry that I failed to take the chance at the crucial moment," he said. "All of a sudden, my brain seemed to short-circuit."

Zhao was selected as one of the two flagbearers for the Chinese delegation at the opening ceremony. He had added two world titles to his Olympic gold over the past five years.

"Actually we are familiar with each other. I know whoever took his chance at the most important moment wins. But this is our sport. I will go back to prepare for the next Olympics in Paris."

The gold medal went to Ulugbek Rashitov of Uzbekistan, who upset 2019 world champion Sinden 34-29 in the final.