Teigan Smith: Carronshore taekwondo ace earns potential Olympian tag as she makes full-time GB step up

The 16-year-old, who trains out of Central Taekwondo Academy, has just been chosen as one of six of the best young athletes across the UK – earning her a spot in Great Britain Taekwondo’s World Class Performance (WCP) programme after countless eye-catching displays in the junior ranks.

She will make the move down south this summer after leaving Larbert High School to train as a full-time athlete, training alongside current Taekwondo Olympic stars and working towards participating in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

“This promotion is a result of the promise they have shown, the hard work they have put in and the commitment they have made,” said GB Taekwondo Performance Director, Gary Hall of the arriving group. “As can be seen in the quality of the athletes who have been promoted from the development squad, it shows, working in connection with their clubs, the system is working well.

"Teigan is part of a real quality group doing some quality work and they have all the right characteristics to give it their best shot.”

Central Taekwondo’s Grand Master David Bailey added: “Teigan’s progress has been meteoric! She becomes the fourth Central Academy member in recent years to join the World Class Programme after Asia Bailey, Hassan Haider and of course her elder sister Jordyn who will be a superb mentor for her.

“We wish Teigan the very best of luck and look forward to seeing her compete at all the big major events in the future. Everyone at the club is super proud.”

Big sister Jordyn, who was previously World Junior champion in 2018, is regarded as one Scotland’s top in the sport having spent four years on the Olympic programme herself and Teigan is out to better her achievements in a family that is centred around the sport. Dad Darren is also the Carronshore club’s Sport TKD coach.

“It is something that is so big in our family,” Teigan said. “There is a bit of rivalry there too with Jordyn of course, but with our age difference it is hard to compare us in that sense.

"It isn’t intense because we are at such different stages but I would love to do what she has and even better it if I can.

“It helps to have someone there that you can speak to that has experienced it at all beforehand. If I feel nervous about anything then I am probably lucky in that sense that I have her to fall back on.

“She knows what it is like and she has had her own experiences.”

The teen says she is ready to leave Larbert High School and embrace the professional aspects of sport down in Manchester.

Teigan added: “The goal for me is just to enjoy it all at the start and take everything in. Full-time senior level taekwondo is completely different to the stuff I have been involved in previously.

“I just want to progress and work my way up through the international competitions that come my way. The Olympics and things like that are still far away at the moment but I can get there.

“It is really exciting and it all feels real now. At first the whole thing probably didn’t sink in properly. But now after all of the meetings and the planning for moving away, it is very much real now.

“I have put in the hard work over the past year so I am really happy that it has paid off for me. The club has really supported me throughout these last few months and I couldn’t have did it without them or my family supporting me.”