Logan Campbell (taekwondo)

Logan Campbell
Personal information
Born7 June 1986 (1986-06-07) (age 38)
Auckland, New Zealand
Websitewww.logancampbell.co.nz

Logan Campbell (born 7 June 1986, in Auckland[1]) is a New Zealand taekwondo practitioner who competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics.

Campbell was first attracted to taekwondo as a child after watching The Karate Kid but initially struggled at the sport.[2] He kept at it and won his first international tournament at the age of 13.[2] He qualified for the 2005 Taekwondo World Championships and in 2006 won the WTF-Oceania Championships coming back from being down 3-0 in the final.[3][4] In order to take part internationally he was funded by his parents but shortly before the 2008 Olympics did manage to get some sponsorship.[2]

Campbell qualified for the Olympics after winning the Featherweight (under 68 kg) category at the 2007 Oceania Qualification Tournament and won the Korean Open in July 2008.[2] He broke his arm seven weeks before the Olympics, but it healed in time for him to participate.[5] However he was drawn against the 2007 World Champion Sung Yu-chi in the first round,[6] and lost to him 4-0.[7]

In July 2009 Campbell and his business partner, opened a brothel[8][9] in Auckland so he could finance his training towards his aim of competing at the 2012 Olympics in London, England.[8] His 2008 Olympic campaign had cost $150,000 and Campbell hoped to raise the $300,000 that he estimated he would need for the 2012 Olympics.[10] Prostitution in registered brothels is legal in New Zealand and Campbell described what he was opening as a high class escort agency.[10] He was backed by his parents who had previously funded his Taekwondo career, with his father having taken two jobs to fund Campbell's international competition.[10] Campbell planned to take 2 years off from taekwondo in order to work full-time before returning to training in 2011; however it was reported that his choice of business might count against him in being selected for the 2012 Olympics.[11]

At the 2012 Games he was knocked out in his first fight 6-10 by Hryhorii Husarov.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Logan Campbell". New Zealand Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 20 October 2008. Retrieved 12 July 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d "Taekwondo: Campbell's fighting chance". The New Zealand Herald. 18 July 2008. Retrieved 12 July 2009.
  3. ^ "NZ Taekwondo Team Selected". SportsWeb. 30 January 2005. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2009.
  4. ^ "Martial arts: Fighters survive bad start to sweep golds". The New Zealand Herald. 28 August 2006. Retrieved 12 July 2009.
  5. ^ "Cheong wins before falling to favourite". Stuff.co.nz. 21 August 2008. Retrieved 12 July 2009.
  6. ^ "Taekwondo: NZ trio done no favours by draw". The New Zealand Herald. 20 August 2008. Retrieved 12 July 2009.
  7. ^ "Pint-sized Cheong makes history on drab day". The New Zealand Herald. 21 August 2008. Retrieved 12 July 2009.
  8. ^ a b "Kiwi opens brothel to fund campaign". The New Zealand Herald. 12 July 2009. Retrieved 12 July 2009. [dead link‍]
  9. ^ "Logan Campbell". Logan Campbell. Retrieved 12 July 2009.
  10. ^ a b c Barrowclough, Anne (12 July 2009). "NZ athlete Logan Campbell funds 2012 Olympic bid with brothel". The Times. London. Retrieved 12 July 2009.[dead link‍]
  11. ^ "Olympic hopeful opens NZ brothel". BBC News Online. 12 July 2009. Retrieved 12 July 2009.
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