TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s taekwondo team won the country’s first gold medal at the Summer World University Games in Germany on Friday.

On the second day of competition, the women’s poomsae team — Yang Chang-ying (楊長螢), Kuo Yen-yu (郭彥妤), and Chen Hsin-ya (陳歆雅) — earned gold with a combined average score of 8.849. Their performance edged out South Korea to claim Taiwan’s first gold in the team poomsae event, according to LTN Sports.

Poomsae is a discipline of taekwondo involving a set pattern of movements that combine fundamental techniques with offensive and defensive sequences. It emphasizes precise execution, mental focus, and the practical application of each move, according to the Advanced Taekwondo Association.

In their first routine, the team tied South Korea’s top score of 8.966 with synchronized, energetic moves. Their second free-style poomsae, set to traditional Eastern classical music, earned an 8.732 for its expressive, well-coordinated execution. The combined average of 8.849 secured their gold medal victory.

Coach Huang Pei-yun (黃珮昀) said the team started training together only after final selections in May. The athletes expressed gratitude and hope for Taiwan’s delegation to win more medals.

The Summer World University Games, which take place every two years in different cities, bring together student-athletes from around the world. This year’s event runs from Wednesday through July 28 in Germany’s Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.

Taiwan’s women’s poomsae team had previously won silver at past World University Games. The country has also clinched gold in mixed doubles at the 2017 Taipei Summer Universiade.