Chinese fans angry after protest

By Ian Ransom

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chen Zhong's bid for a record third taekwondo gold medal ended on Saturday in controversial fashion, after tournament officials overturned the result of her quarter-final victory following a protest by the British team.

The Chinese double Olympic champion advanced to the semi-finals of the women's 72-kg category, after referees failed to register a score for an obvious head-kick that would have given her British opponent, Sarah Stevenson, the win.

Spectators booed Chen's victory and a furious Stevenson told reporters that she had been "robbed".

Minutes before the Chen's semi-final was to start, a tournament official announced in English over a loudspeaker that a supervisory board had reviewed the match and decided to overturn the result.

The announcement was relayed in Chinese a few minutes later prompting boos and loud chants of "kangyi!", meaning "protest!", from Chinese spectators.

The Chinese team agreed to the overturn after being consulted, said an official, who declined to be named.

The semi-final between Stevenson and Maria Espinoza started shortly after, with Chinese fans boo-ing when the Briton's name was called out and cheering raucously for scoring kicks by her Mexican opponent, who eventually won 4-1.

Controversy over poor judging has dogged taekwondo since it was elevated to a full Olympic sport at the Olympic Games, and the Beijing tournament has been no different from day one.

Cuban taekwondo-jin Gladys Mora suffered a similar fate to Briton Stevenson in her opening bout against Taiwan's Yang Shu-Chun on Wednesday, with an obvious head-kick missed by referees, but the result of her match stood.

The U.S. team on Friday protested a contentious referee decision that cost double Olympic champion Steven Lopez a place in the semi-final and accused World Taekwondo Federation officials of botching the protest process.

(Editing by Alison Williams)