Seven North Coast taekwondo titans brought home a haul of medals and the overall team trophy from a recent international competition in Italy.

Every member of the South African team won at least two medals at the Global Taekwondo Federation (GTF) European Championships and Open European Cup, held from September 7-14 in Roana, in northern Italy.

Athletes competed across sparring, patterns and special technique categories.

Fabien Durocher-Yvon and Scelo Jabulani Patrick Mthembu both won four golds, while Muhammad Jawad Rajahussen and Linda Smit claimed three golds apiece.

Dominic Judge and Lily Rae Faulds each earned two golds and one silver medal, while Dave Sidney Raper rounded out the medal haul with two silvers.

The overall performance against athletes from eight countries earned the GTF South African team top team honours, ahead of Kazakhstan and Bulgaria.

Team member Linda Smit said she was proud of all the athletes for their shared achievement.

“Many months of preparation, hard work and dedicated practice for this championship have paid off,” said Smit.

“We would like to thank every athlete for their dedication and outstanding efforts, as well as the parents for their encouragement and support throughout the journey.”