Jack Woolley

Jack Woolley was born on September 23, 1998, in Tallaght, Dublin, Ireland. He began his taekwondo career early, demonstrating talent that led to his participation in international events. In 2012, at a young age, Woolley secured a bronze medal at the Spanish Open and a gold medal at the Polish Open, competing in the cadets category. His progression continued with a gold medal at the 2013 Trelleborg Open in the youth category. In 2014, he participated in the World Championships in Taipai City. By 2015, he earned silver medals at the US Open and the Spanish Open, along with a bronze at the Polish Open. He also secured a gold medal at the Russian Open and a silver medal at the European Junior Championships in Daugavspils.

Woolley continued to achieve success in senior competitions. In 2016, he earned a silver medal at the Olympic Games qualification Europe event in Istanbul, as well as silver medals at the US Open and European Clubs Championships, along with gold at the Canada Open and Luxembourg Open. He secured a bronze medal at the 2018 Grand Prix in Rome and a gold medal at the Austrian Open in Innsbruck. He maintained high-level performances with multiple silver and gold medals at various international open tournaments. In 2019, he collected silver medals at the US Open and Sofia Open, and bronze at the WT Presidents Cup – Oceania. He further achieved gold medals at the Turkish Open, Australia Open, and WT Presidents Cup – Pan Am. By 2020, he had won gold medals at the US Open and Sofia Open. His career included consistent participation in Grand Prix events, European Championships, and World Championships, often reaching the quarterfinals or semifinals.

He made history at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as Ireland’s first Olympian in Taekwondo, finishing 11th overall. Woolley sustained an injury in an assault after the Tokyo Olympics but returned to competition. In 2022, he earned a silver medal at the European Championships in Manchester, a bronze at the Grand Prix in Manchester, and placed fifth at the World Championships. In 2023, he secured a silver medal at the European Games in Kraków-Małopolska. In 2024, he clinched his second Olympic appearance by reaching the final of the European Qualifier in Bulgaria. He represented Ireland in the men’s 58 kg category at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, finishing tied for 7th place.