Member of Uzbekistan national team on taekwondo Dmitriy Shokin won the 2015 WTF World Taekwondo Grand Prix Series 1 in Moscow, Russia.
The men’s heavyweight final (+80) was a bruising affair with the tank-like Uzbek Dmitriy Shokin, the world-ranked number five, taking on Russia’s taller and whippier Vladislav Larin, the world-ranked number 13.
2015 has been a tremendous year for Shokin, who has won the three tourneys he has entered this year, including the World Championships in May. He showed his form in Moscow, opening the scoring with a punch but Larin, a home-town favorite, was unintimidated.
Returning fire with a snappy front leg kick, he scored. The match settled down to both men sparring off their front legs, with Shokin varying his attacks with punches and spin kicks, which Larin countered with turning kicks off both legs. Shokin settled down and started showing off a bit of showmanship, while the “thwack” of his kicks impacting Larin’s body protector echoed around the stadium.
The final result was in little doubt and the match ended with a definitive 9-4 victory to the Uzbek, who, in a post-match interview, dedicated his victory to Uzbekistan’s upcoming independence day. Larin was more down-to-earth, noting that being kicked by Shokin was “not particularly pleasant.”
