San Antonio FAQ - National Championships & Fiesta Challenge
Any time something new comes along there are questions, so we’re here with the answers to the ones we’ve heard most often so far....
1. Why are you doing this?
Two reasons - one, not everyone felt comfortable travelling/competing in June due to covid, and we know how important the National Championships is to everyone, and especially this one in the stunning surroundings of the Alamodome, so we wanted to accommodate those people too.
Secondly, the standard of the elite athletes in the U.S. is now so high that not everyone is comfortable fighting at such a high level - the National Fiesta Challenge is an opportunity to get the full Nationals experience - and valuable ring time - for athletes earlier in their development, without the risk of a potentially dangerous mismatch. And an opportunity for coaches to let more athletes compete - bringing both high level and developing athletes - and parents to let their kids compete and see if tournaments are for them, in a safe place.
We will be doing more events for athletes who are still developing in the future as we develop our ‘grassroots’ programming to raise the standard across the United States.
2. I’m a coach, and I saw people say I have to pay twice to coach in both events, is this true?
No, that’s not true - one coaching pass for both events.
3. But Sport:80 doesn’t stop me paying for both?
That’s true, and we’ve asked the developers to work on that. If anyone mistakenly pays twice we will refund them.
4. What do I get from the National Fiesta Challenge compared to the Grand Prix Series?
Grand Prix Series:
14.0 Ranking Points
All competitors qualify for the 16.0 National Championships
All medalists qualify for the 20.0 Grand Prix Final
All medalists qualify for their corresponding Regional Athlete Academy
National Fiesta Challenge:
10.0 Ranking points
Gold medalist only is invited to the 20.0 Grand Prix Final
Gold medalists qualify for their corresponding Regional Athlete Academy
5. What is the eligibility criteria to compete at the Fiesta Challenge?
The Challenge is open to any athlete who is not competing in the National Championships. There is no qualification requirement.
6. Can I compete in both events and get massive points?
Athletes are not allowed to compete in both, due to the Rankings rules on not competing in multiple events in a short period of time. We realize there are athletes who may have qualified for poomsae at the National Championships who may wish to compete in sparring in the National Fiesta Challenge, rather than take on the best in the country in the National Championships - this is something we will consider for the future, should events be run concurrently again.
7. If I competed at a Grand Prix Series, can I still compete in the Fiesta?
If you competed at the Grand Prix Series, but would prefer to compete in the Fiesta Challenge instead of the National Championships you can absolutely do so. You will NOT be allowed to compete in both though.
8. Am I only allowed to compete in the divisions I competed in the GP Series or can I compete in any division?
No, if you competed in the Grand Prix Series in any division you can register in any division at the National Championships, in any discipline. The Fiesta Challenge has no qualification requirement so you can register in anything you like.
9. Is the schedule for the Fiesta Challenge and National Championships the same? What will the athlete experience be like with two concurrently running events?
The divisions will run on the same days. We will run the Fiesta Challenge Divisions first, and the National Championship Divisions later.
10. Is this just to make money?
This is a strange question, but we have seen it so we will answer. Firstly, attendance is optional. Secondly, it will be a quality event, so we are providing a product that people can choose to buy if they wish to do so. Thirdly, unlike in other countries, NGBs in the United States are not government funded and are required to put on events to raise funds to support athletes - and we are committed to, and have proven, that we are investing in athletes in record amounts. That is our reason to exist, so that we can fund athletes, programs and services.
The more money we make, the more money we invest in U.S. Taekwondo athletes - money is not diverted to other sports, or to shareholder dividends as in other organizations - it is reinvested back into OUR sport in our country, and we are audited multiple times each year to ensure we are doing just that.
