Logan Campbell (taekwondo)

Logan Campbell
Born 7 June 1986
New Zealand
Website www.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

  1. ↑ "Logan Campbell". New Zealand Olympic Committee. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Taekwondo: Campbell's fighting chance". The New Zealand Herald. 2008-07-18. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
  3. ↑ "NZ Taekwondo Team Selected". SportsWeb. 2005-01-30. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
  4. ↑ "Martial arts: Fighters survive bad start to sweep golds". The New Zealand Herald. 2006-08-28. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
  5. ↑ "Cheong wins before falling to favourite". Stuff.co.nz. 2008-08-21. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
  6. ↑ "Taekwondo: NZ trio done no favours by draw". The New Zealand Herald. 2008-08-20. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
  7. ↑ "Pint-sized Cheong makes history on drab day". The New Zealand Herald. 2008-08-21. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
  8. 1 2 "Kiwi opens brothel to fund campaign". The New Zealand Herald. 2009-07-12. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
  9. ↑ "Logan Campbell". Logan Campbell. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
  10. 1 2 3 Barrowclough, Anne (2009-07-12). "NZ athlete Logan Campbell funds 2012 Olympic bid with brothel". London: The Times. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
  11. ↑ "Olympic hopeful opens NZ brothel". BBC News Online. 2009-07-12. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
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