Olympics 2024: ‘Heartbreak’ for McGowan in taekwondo bronze fight

Scottish takewondo fighter Rebecca McGowan says the “heartbreak” of missing out on a bronze medal at the Olympics will take time to get over.

The 24-year-old from Dumbarton was in tears after her quarter-final defeat by Uzbekistan’s Svetlana Osipova, before returning later on Saturday to battle through the repechage round to set up a fight for bronze.

However, despite taking the first round and then landing what looked like a winning kick to the head in the third, McGowan lost to Nafia Kus Aydin of Turkey after her strike was deemed outside of the main arena.

“It was a tough day. I think there were things I could’ve done better. There were mistakes I made,” McGowan told BBC Scotland.

“But equally my opponents fought fantastically throughout the day. It’s the nature of the sport I’m in. Some days it’s yours, some days it isn’t. And it’s the finest of margins.

“I was still picking myself up as I was walking through the tunnel to go out [for the bronze fight] to be honest.

“I’ve never felt heartbreak like that, and to feel it twice in one day is unexplainable right now. It’s tough, and I’ve got to learn to deal with it unfortunately.”

McGowan was competing at her first Olympics in the magnificent and raucous Grand Palais, having been a reserve in Tokyo.

That had spurred her on to qualify for these Games, which she did at the expense of two-time Olympic medallist Bianca Cook.

McGowan says despite the defeat she will, in time, take pride in her journey to reach Paris.

“I’ll learn to be more proud of today,” the Scot said.

“But now it’s a bit raw. There’s a lot of heartbreak and devastation there. It’ll come and I’ll learn and be stronger for it as a person and a fighter.

“There’s been a physical, emotional and mental battle. A battle I don’t think anyone would quite understand.

“It’s taken a lot to get here and unfortunately it’s not gone the way I wanted it to go.

“But that’s life. Life happens and you move on.”