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Bush overcomes 'sleepless nights' to win Euro gold
TL;DR
Matt Bush won European gold in Para-taekwondo just two months after the birth of his second child. He faced challenges in preparation due to parental duties and sleepless nights.
Key points
- Matt Bush won European gold in Para-taekwondo
- Victory came two months after the birth of his second child
- He faced challenges due to parental duties and sleepless nights
Mentioned in this story
Munich
Matt BushEuropean Taekwondo Championships
Matt Bush says he will continue to rise to the challenges he faces in Para-taekwondo after winning European gold for Great Britain two months after the birth of his second child.
The Welshman took the European Taekwondo Championships title in Munich in midweek with the build-up to his K44 men's +80kg triumph against Croatia's Ivan Mikulic impacted by parental duties.
"The preparation was more challenging, for sure," Bush told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.
"It's been a busy, busy year. Lots of things going on. I've got my little boy now, I've got my little girl who's two, so it's full‑on.
"Sleepless nights and stuff, when recovery is key - my main recovery method is sleep, so when that goes out the window, it gets quite hard.
"These are just hurdles, so everything's going to be different. You're never going to have the perfect run‑up, the perfect prep.
"It doesn't matter to me. On fight day, I'm going to get up, whatever's going on, I'm going to get up, I'm going to get my kit on, I'm going to get out there, I'm going to try and win. It doesn't really matter to me."
Bush's Welsh compatriot Lauren Williams was beaten by Germany's Lorena Brandl in the women's +73kg final as she earned a silver medal.
"It was integrated with the Olympic side, so we had a huge crowd there, lots of people, lots of things going on," said Bush.
"We took a good, strong - not the biggest team out with us - but a high‑quality team and the return was massive. Almost everyone medalled, their performances were really good. It was just strong all round."
Bush says his own success came after Mikulic went a head on points as the contest progressed, eventually winning 18-16 with a flurry of kicks in the final seconds.
"The first round I saw the game plan was working well and I out‑pointed him quite nicely. The second round he changed his game plan, came on different, so I had to adapt, got very close.
"Seconds were counting down, he back‑kicked me, went up on points. I looked at my coach, he gave me the nod, which is just the nod to turn it up a bit.
"So I just went into the next gear and pushed the pace on him and got the points back just in the last second."
Bush's latest success adds to his impressive tally of tournament medals and titles that began in 2019 when he became Britain's first male taekwondo world champion.
He qualified for the Paralympics in Tokyo 2020 before having to withdraw after suffering an ACL injury, before winning gold in Paris in 2024 and was selected as one of ParalympicsGB's flagbearers for the closing ceremony.
The Welshman also won gold at the World Championships in Mexico and at the Grand Prix in China in 2023, as well as a bronze at the European Championships 2024 in Serbia.
Q&A
How did Matt Bush perform at the European Taekwondo Championships?
Matt Bush won the K44 men's +80kg title at the European Taekwondo Championships in Munich.
What challenges did Matt Bush face leading up to his gold medal win?
Matt Bush faced challenges related to parental duties and sleepless nights after the birth of his second child.
What is Matt Bush's weight category in Para-taekwondo?
Matt Bush competes in the K44 men's +80kg weight category in Para-taekwondo.
