The 29-year-old failed to defend his title at the London
Games after a defeat in the quarter-finals, which was the
country's first loss in the heaviest weight class since the
sport's introduction in the 2000 Sydney Games.
"I want to restore my honor," Cha was quoted as saying by the
Yonhap news agency. "In Beijing, I was thrilled to be at the
Olympics, and in London, I felt so much pressure because I was
under the spotlight as the top gold medal hopeful.
"Now, it feels almost the same as the 2008 Olympics, but I feel
more comfortable.
"In my weight class, there are tall fighters who have good
agility. But I have already finished analyzing them and I'm
ready to fight."
South Korea had one of it's lowest medal hauls in the sport in
London, winning one gold and a silver compared to the four
medals captured in each of the previous three editions.
"It is true that there's been an increase in parity in
taekwondo," Cha added. "I want to rebuild South Korea's legacy
in the men's over-80kg division in Rio."
(Reporting by Nivedita Shankar in Bengaluru; editing by Sudipto
Ganguly)
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