University of Santo Tomas (UST) taekwondo star Darius Venerable copped a breakthrough gold in the online 2020 World Taekwondo Asia Poomsae Open Championship.

Last year’s top UST rookie continued to impress, topping the table with 7.02 points in the men’s freestyle category.

South Korea’s Kim Ji Won placed 2nd behind the Filipino with 6.800 points while Indonesia’s Wawan Saputra copped bronze with 6.780 points in the event.

Venerable was part of the country’s poomsae team with Janna Dominique Oliva, Juvenile Faye Crisostomo, Marvin Mori and Patrick King Perez that bagged a 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games silver in the mixed team freestyle event.

Teammate Mori placed 7th in the online tourney’s men’s freestyle category with a score of 5.50.

Filipino taekwondo jins Zyka Santiago and Nastassia Limos bagged the bronze medals in the women’s freestyle category while Cyd Edryc Esmaña also won a bronze in the men’s cadet event of the international tournament. – Rappler.com