World Taekwondo (WT) is moving forward with its strategy to raise refereeing standards ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games (LA28). Recently, the organization published the Standing International Referee List, a key document that compiles the referees certified and authorized to officiate at high-level international competitions.
This list serves as the foundation for the ambitious initiative announced by WT: the selection and training of 300 Standing International Referees (Standing IRs), who will form the elite core of officials tasked with ensuring impartiality, precision, and excellence throughout the upcoming competition cycles, culminating in LA28.
The process included four Training & Selection Camps, one per continent, each consisting of two intensive days (not including travel time). These camps aim to identify and strengthen the candidates’ skills through ongoing evaluations at events organized or recognized by WT. From this group of 300 selected referees, the officials designated to officiate at the 2028 Games will be chosen.
The announcement, published in the official notifications section of the World Taekwondo website, lists the names, regions, nationalities, and IR identifiers of referees who meet the certification, experience, and regulatory update requirements established by the organization. This list is essential for ensuring impartiality and technical quality at events such as the World Championships, Grand Prix tournaments, Grand Slams, and, of course, the Olympic Games.
Although this document does not include regulatory changes or announcements of specific new additions or removals, it serves as an essential reference for national federations, tournament organizers, and athletes. World Taekwondo will periodically update this list to reflect current certifications, completed training, and any adjustments resulting from international evaluations or seminars.
In recent months, the federation has placed an emphasis on professionalizing refereeing, particularly in light of the current Olympic cycle, during which recent changes to the competition rules have been implemented.
World Taekwondo invites continental unions and member federations to verify the certification status of their referees and to participate in the refresher courses scheduled throughout the year.
