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Elhamipour A, Yousefian Molla R, Fatahi A. Relationships Between Selected Components of Physical Fitness and Skill Performance in Adolescent Female Taekwondo Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Study. J Sport Biomech 2026; 12 (3) :432-453
URL: http://biomechanics.iauh.ac.ir/article-1-510-en.html

Objective Taekwondo is an Olympic combat sport that requires a high level of integration between physical fitness and technical skills. However, evidence regarding the relationships between physical fitness components and skill performance in adolescent female taekwondo athletes remains limited. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationships between selected physical fitness components, including flexibility, explosive power, reaction time, and balance, and skill performance indicators, namely kicking speed, punching power, and combined skill performance, in adolescent female taekwondo athletes.
Methods This cross-sectional correlational study employed a quantitative research design. The study included 31 female taekwondo athletes aged 14–18 years with 3–5 years of training experience. Physical fitness components were assessed using the Sit-and-Reach Test (flexibility), Sargent Vertical Jump Test (explosive power), Nelson Ruler Drop Test (reaction time), and Stork Balance Test (balance). Skill performance indicators included kicking speed (FSKT-10s), punching power, and combined skill performance. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation coefficient.
Results Flexibility was significantly correlated with reaction time (r = −0.38), explosive power (r = 0.36), kicking speed (r = 0.50), and combined skill performance (r = −0.51). Reaction time was also significantly associated with combined skill performance (r = 0.44), whereas kicking speed showed a significant negative correlation with combined skill performance (r = −0.40). In contrast, static balance and punching power were not significantly associated with the assessed skill performance indicators.
Conclusion The findings indicate that flexibility and reaction time are significantly associated with skill performance in adolescent female taekwondo athletes. Athletes with greater flexibility and faster reaction times demonstrated superior performance in both kicking speed and combined technical skills. These findings provide practical insights for developing targeted training programs to enhance competitive performance in taekwondo.