2011 PAN AM GAMES: GUADALAJARA, MEXICO
CANADA'S GONDA WINS TAEKWONDO GOLD AT PAN AM GAMES
GUADALAJARA, Mexico -- Ivett Gonda's golden day started with the easiest of victories.
The Canadian got word on the bus ride to the taekwondo venue that her first-round opponent at the Pan American Games didn't make weight and would not compete. Needing just one victory to guarantee a spot in an Olympic qualifying event next month, the walkover win immediately relieved the pressure.
Gonda appeared relaxed and confident when she finally got on the mat. Three matches later, she had the biggest victory of her career.
"Getting the first gold medal on Day 1, I can't ask for more," she said. "It's great."
Gonda captured Canada's first gold medal at the Games with a 13-6 win over Lizbeth Julissa Diez Canseco of Peru at the Code II Gymnasium. The Port Moody, B.C., fighter outscored her opponent 8-1 in the final round, sealing the win with a roundhouse kick to the head.
"I was just waiting for the right moment," Gonda said. "Sometimes it comes together."
There was an electric atmosphere in the 2,100-seat venue from the start, especially when Gonda took on Carolena Carstens of Panama in the quarter-finals. Mexico's Damian Villa -- who won silver in the men's 58-kilogram category -- was wrapping up a victory on the next mat.
The energetic Mexican crowd let out a roar when Villa completed the win before turning their attention to Gonda's bout. She had little trouble with Carstens, recording a comfortable 11-4 win.
"My goal strictly was to survive six minutes, just make it through the six minutes and that was it," Gonda said. "I wasn't expecting more. It's a long journey and a long process and you can't win everything. That's just how the sport works."
After a break of a few hours, Gonda returned and posted an 8-3 semifinal victory over American Deiranne Estephany Morales before taking gold in the final match of the day.
Gonda seemed cool and collected after the victory. She simply smiled when she was presented with the medal and showed little emotion on the podium.
"I feel very privileged and blessed to have the medal, but I'm not jumping out of my skin," she said. "It's just another stepping stone in the process to what I originally wanted. The Olympics is where you want to be."
She said she felt proud to see the Maple Leaf raised while O Canada was played for the first time here in recognition of a victory.
"I love hearing the anthem, that's what we do it for," she said. "It's priceless."
Gonda will compete in two more qualifying events before knowing if she will make the trip to the London Games. The two-time Olympian would love another chance to compete at the top level.
"I know what my abilities are," she said. "When I'm performing to my best, I know what I can do. Sometimes I feel (I come up) short, but this time I was able to perform and just execute what I've always been able to do. I'm happy for that."
The stands were near capacity for both sessions. Mexican President Felipe Calderon was in attendance for the early matches.
Yulis Gabriel Mercedes Reyes of the Dominican Republic beat Villa for the men's gold. Earlier, Mercedes Reyes defeated Jocelyn Addison of Montreal 7-1 in a quarter-final bout.
Gonda, 25, was born in Hungary and moved to Canada at age four. She has won several international events and captured bronze at the 2007 Pan Am Games in Rio.
While her ultimate goal is competing in London, she knows it would just be a bonus given her list of accomplishments.
"I'm more than thrilled at where my career is at," Gonda said. "I can walk away today and just be happy with where I am. So to me, it's just letting myself be out there and just taking the moment in."
