Eva Sandersen

Eva Eun-Kyung Sandersen (Korean: Eva 은경 Sandersen, born 12 February 2001) is a Danish taekwondo athlete, nine-time World Poomsae medalist and eleven-time European Champion.

Taekwondo career

Eva Sandersen started practicing the Korean martial arts taekwondo in 2009 at the suggestion of her parents.

Junior competitions Sandersen participated in her first major competition as a junior at the 2014 World Poomsae Championships in Aguascalientes, where she claimed the bronze medal with the female team in the traditional Poomsae competition. At the 2015 European Championships in Belgrade, she placed first in the individual Freestyle as well as the traditional Poomsae Competition.

In 2016, she competed at the World Championships in Lima, where she won a silver medal in the junior's freestyle competition in the age group "under 17" (ages 15 to 17). Additionally, she competed in the junior's Recognized Poomsae competition, where she placed fifth. At this competition, Sandersen also competed alongside teammates Lærke Pedersen and Emma Kayerød-Rasmussenwon in the synchronous-team category, where the group received a fifth place as well.

Sandersen won a gold medal in the junior's Recognized Poomsae competition (ages 15 to 17) at the 2017 Taekwondo European Championships. At the same event, she also earned a second place in the junior's freestyle competition.

In 2018, Sandersen participated in the World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships, where she earned two bronze medals, one in the Recognized Poomsae competition and one in the Freestyle Poomsae competition for the age group from 15 to 17 years. That same year, she won the gold medal in the Recognized Poomsae competition at the 2018 World Taekwondo Beach Championships.

Senior competitions Sandersen participated in her first senior competition in 2018, at the World Taekwondo Beach Championships in Rhodes, where she had also competed as a Junior in the Recognized Poomsae competition, and claimed the silver medal in the women's Freestyle Poomsae competition.

2019, at the European Poomsae Championships in Antalya, she became double-European champion in the women's Recognized Poomsae and freestyle competition. In February 2020, Sandersen ruptured an Achilles tendon during a training session and had to take a break from competing for six months.

In 2021, Sandersen won two gold medals, in both the traditional poomsae category and the freestyle category of the women's senior competition (over 17 years of age) at the 15th European Poomsae Championships in Seixal.

At the Goyang 2022 World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships, she became the world champion in the women's Recognized Poomsae competition (ages 18 to 30), after beating Marjan Salahshouri in the finale. Additionally, Sandersen won the bronze medal in the women's Freestyle Poomsae competition.

Sandersen became European Champion for the third time at the 2023 European Championships in Innsbruck, beating Sweden's Alicia Brännback in the semi-final and Turkish athlete Seyda Nur Yavuz in the final of the Recognized Poomsae competition, with Austria's Anna Schneeberger taking the second bronze medal. Additionally, she beat Germany's Leah Lawall in the finale and took first place in the women's freestyle competition for the third time.

In 2024, she participated in the women's individual freestyle competition at the World Poomsae Championships in Hong Kong, where she placed second behind the defending freestyle world champion Ye Eun Cha from South Korea. She also claimed the silver medal in the women's Recognized Poomsae competition behind South Korean athlete Jooyeong Lee.

Public appearances

Sandersen participated in the fifth and final season of Danmark Har Talent in November 2019. She performed several programs consisting of taekwondo moves combined with stunt elements. Sandersen advanced into the finals but missed out on the Top 5, finishing in the 6th to 10th ranking. In an interview with German athlete Steven Behn in 2023, she stated that she would like to see Poomsae competitions being included in the Olympic Games.

Personal life

Sandersen began studying for a degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2021.