Excusez-moi, Paris. The Queen City is about to take the world spotlight, yet again.
Charlotte has won the bid to host the prestigious World Taekwondo Grand Prix Challenge June 13-15, 2025. The Grand Prix Challenge will serve as a crucial step in the qualifying process for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
“It’s a huge moment for everybody working here to turn Charlotte into the epicenter for Olympic sport in the United States,” said Steve McNally, CEO of USA Taekwondo.
Charlotte is familiar territory for elite athletes. Close to 100 Olympians live and train at The United States Performance Center on the campus of UNC Charlotte. The Center led the bid for Charlotte to host The Grand Prix Challenge and is a critical training ground for both summer and winter Olympic athletes.
The Center is far more than just a workout facility. Athletes receive world-class amenities from sports medicine and physical therapy to sports psychology, nutritional guidance, and mental health services.
“Having the relationship here with the US Performance Center has been completely epic. It’s totally changing the whole dynamic of training for us [athletes],” said Casey Eichfeld of US Canoe/Kayak.
Fun fact: eight US Olympic teams train full-time in Charlotte, including:
- Archery
- Canoe
- Field hockey
- Judo
- Rugby (men’s)
- Table Tennis
- Taekwondo
- Triathlon
Over the next year, elite athletes across multiple sports will compete in Charlotte, from tennis stars for the Charlotte Invitational this December at Spectrum Center or the PGA Championship that will draw the world’s top golfers to Quail Hollow Club next May.
Editor’s note: Charlotte is currently bidding to host the Military World Games in 2027.
Steve McNally shared his dream that the Queen City will be a prominent fixture in the international sports world. “We hope by the time LA runs around, we’ll be talking about multiple national events and multiple gold medalists from the city of Charlotte.”
