Larbert High pupil helps make Team GB taekwondo history as he becomes European champion

Falkirk’s Peter Sellwood is now a European champion after his stunning showings at the recent Poomsae Championships in Estonia (Photo: Submitted)

A Larbert High School pupil is celebrating becoming a European champion – while also playing his part in making British taekwondo history.

Following on from his bronze medal at the World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in Hong Kong last December, Falkirk’s own Peter Sellwood is just back from more success at the European Taekwondo Poomsae Championships held in Tallinn, Estonia, where he earned a fantastic gold.

Peter, a proud member of Carronshore’s Central Taekwondo Academy, took part in two categories last week.

First, he was selected to represent Team GB in the Junior Male Team category and once again achieved a place on the podium.

Falkirk’s Peter Sellwood and his Central Academy club-mate Natasha Wilson at the recent Poomsae Championships in Estonia (Photo: Submitted)

After progressing to the semi-final, Peter and his team-mates lost to the eventual winners from Spain.

It's another bronze medal to add to Peter’s world bronze - a wonderful achievement in itself.

But then even greater success was to follow in his second category, the Para-Poomsae Europeans.

For 15-year-old Peter, who has a diagnosis for autism, it was his first major championships in Para-Poomsae and he competed in the P21 category.

It's expected that Para-Poomsae will make its debut as a Paralympic sport at the 2028 LA Olympic Games and the P21 (Intellectually Impaired) division will be included.

For this reason, there were many more competitors than usual contesting the European title.

Larbert High pupil Peter was the youngest player in the division but he didn’t let that affect him.

He won four matches, defeating Croatia in the round of 16; Italy (the current European champion) in the quarter final; an experienced GB teammate in the semi-final; and he then beat Turkey in the final to become P21 European champion.

His scores were higher than anything ever seen before in Para-Poomsae competition.

And thanks to Peter’s herculean effort, the travelling GB team made taekwondo history. They claimed a record 19 medals across all events, as well as securing the European Para Poomsae Team Trophy for the first time. That medal haul makes the group the most successful British team at a European Championships of all time.

Peter’s GB team-mate and fellow Central Academy student Natasha Wilson had a tough draw in both the U30 Teams and U30 Pairs, losing out to the eventual winners from Spain and Turkey respectively.

Central founder Grand Master David Bailey said: "Peter's double success in Estonia is sensational - a bronze followed by becoming a young European champion.

"The future looks very bright for him with more Europeans, Worlds and possibly even the Paralympics to look forward to.

"Natasha is one of the UK’s most successful poomsae athletes, having won the British title for eleven years running and competed at Worlds and Europeans on numerous occasions.

"She is determined to bounce back from the Euros disappointment and continue to keep her place competing at the top level."

A spokesperson for British Taekwondo hailed a “momentous occasion” for the sport in the UK after the record-breaking trip.

“Each and every competitor can be extremely proud of their efforts in Tallinn over the past two days, with plenty of fantastic performances across the board in what has been a momentous occasion for British Taekwondo,” they said last week.

"We can’t wait to see what they achieve next!”

Meanwhile, Central Academy student Max Cartwright secured at silver at the recent European Taekwondo Grand Prix.

For more information about Central Academy, see the club’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057177172042