British-born Moldovan taekwondo star Aaron Cook is demolished by Chinese Taipei's Liu Wei-Ting in last-16 shock at Rio 2016

  • Dorset-born Aaron Cook, now fighting for Moldova, will miss out on gold
  • He was out of sorts on the mat, losing 14-2 to Liu Wei-Ting on Friday
  • He abandoned the British taekwondo academy ahead of London 2012
  • He was snubbed four years ago even though he was world No 1 at time
  • Cook was considered a leading contender for gold at the Rio Olympics

British-born Aaron Cook, now fighting for Moldova, has been knocked out of gold medal contention in the last-16 of the taekwondo competition in Rio de Janiero.

Cook was seeded second and had been considered a leading contender for gold at the Olympics.

He abandoned the British taekwondo academy ahead of the London Games after they declined to select him for their team, despite being top-ranked. 

Aaron Cook (right) of Moldova falls as he competes with Taipei's Liu Wei-Ting on Friday

Aaron Cook (right) of Moldova falls as he competes with Taipei's Liu Wei-Ting on Friday

Cook looks focused ahead of his bout with Liu on the 14th day of the Rio Olympic Games

Cook looks focused ahead of his bout with Liu on the 14th day of the Rio Olympic Games

Cook looked out of sorts on the mat and struggled to string any sustained attacks on Liu

Cook looked out of sorts on the mat and struggled to string any sustained attacks on Liu

Last year, he switched nationalities and began representing Moldova.


Cook looked out of sorts on the mat on Friday and struggled to string any sustained attacks on his opponent, Wei-Ting Liu of Chinese Taipei, ranked 32nd.

Liu used his height advantage to great effect, nailing Cook with several head kicks, including the one that ended the bout at 14-2.

Cook admitted afterwards that he was devastated and could not explain what happened.

'I felt really good this morning in training,' he said. 'I just feel like I've let everyone down after everything I sacrificed.'

World No 2 Cook still has a chance to win a bronze medal, though. He could enter a repechage but only if Liu advances to the final.

Liu now faces Oussama Oueslati of Tunisia, and should Liu win that and then his semi-final, the Tunisian would face Cook in the repechage.

The winner of that will then face a losing semi-finalist, before going through to a bronze medal match to face the winner of an opposite repechage. 

Cook said afterwards that he was devastated and could not explain what happened

Cook said afterwards that he was devastated and could not explain what happened