Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Dunia Abu Talib, the Saudi Olympic taekwondo champion, has once again etched her name in history by claiming the number one spot in the global taekwondo rankings for the under-53kg category.

This remarkable achievement makes her the first Saudi female athlete to reach the top of the world rankings in her division.

Saudi Ambassador to the U.S., Princess Reema bint Bandar, celebrated Abu Talib's milestone with a post on X, stating: “Breaking barriers and making history... Dunia Abu Talib is now the world's number one taekwondo athlete in her weight category. She is an incredible inspiration for all Saudi girls pursuing their dreams. The future is ours.”

Abu Talib boasts an impressive record of achievements in both local and international competitions.

She became the first Saudi female taekwondo athlete to compete in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she faced world number one and Olympic gold medalist Panipak Wongpattanakit of Thailand.

She also secured a bronze medal at the 2022 Asian Games and claimed gold in all three editions of the Saudi Games.

In addition to Abu Talib’s historic achievement, Saudi taekwondo athlete Riad Hamdi ranked second globally in the under-54kg category, while Taiba Al-Sharif secured the seventh spot in the under-46kg division, highlighting the Kingdom’s growing presence in the sport.