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One of the newest members of the New Zealand Olympic Team has said his mum inspired him to take up Taekwondo just eight years ago. In a quick rise to the top, 22-year-old Aucklander Vaughn Scott was named to the Olympic team today in the highly competitive U80kg weight division. While his official Olympic ranking sits at 20, recent performances place him eleventh in the Olympic field. Scott will be joined at London by Beijing Olympians Logan Campbell (Mens U60) and Robin Cheong (Womens U57). The South-African born Scott who trains on Aucklands North Shore once turned down a junior NRL scout and also excels at soccer and basketball. Master Jin Keun Oh, National Team Head Coach for Taekwondo New Zealand, says Scott has outstanding talent. Vaughn is young and has improved fast in the sport, said Master Oh. He competes in a very competitive division (U80kg) and in 2011 took on the world ranking number three player at the US Open. He lost by just three points. At London, the Olympic medal will go to the most focussed athlete, not the most experienced. Vaughn will be aiming for early impact. Scott, whose mother holds a third-dan black belt in karate says he will give his first fight his all. From 16 athletes in the Olympic first round, half will get knocked out, he said. Ive got to treat every fight as if its my last. Scott moved to New Zealand when he was eight and says his mother suggested he try the sport as a fourteen year old. She thought it would keep me out of trouble, he said with a smile. With qualification taken care of, the three athletes now have Olympic medals in their sights and say a new electronic scoring system will help them achieve their goals. Logan Campbell who contested the U58kg division in Beijing said the change to electronic scoring at the Olympic Games is significant for New Zealand. Its a huge leap forward as not only can they now record and score multiple points, any unconscious bias towards a higher-ranked athlete is also removed, he said. Electronic scoring now means there is a new winner every tournament. Weve got a good chance of bringing home a medal. The team train with the new system daily at their Browns Bay dojang. Campbell finished in the top 16 at Beijing and, returning to the sport after a break, has moved up the rankings to currently sit at eighth. Full-time training, a sports psychologist and strength and conditioning are part of a new regime. I know Im better than last time. Im a better fighter. Im fitter, faster and smarter, he said. Ive grown up mentally and physically and Im very proud to wear the silver fern at my second Olympic Games. The third team member, Robin Cheong is a Korean New Zealander. Currently training and competing in Korea, Cheong is New Zealands strongest performing Taekwondo athlete and sits at seventh in international rankings. She competed in the U49kg class at the Beijing Olympic Games finishing with an Olympic Diploma in seventh place. Taekwondo first appeared on the official Olympic programme in 2000 following successful outings in 1988 and 1992 as a demonstration sport. New Zealand has been represented in Taekwondo by Veronica Wihongi (Athens 2004), and Matthew Beach, Logan Campbell and Robin Cheong (Beijing 2008). No Olympic medals have been won. The New Zealand team now consists of forty-three athletes including sailing, rowing, canoe slalom, dressage. Selection announcements will continue through to July 2012
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