Logan Campbell

Logan Campbell
Born 7 June 1986
New Zealand
Website
www.logancampbell.co.nz

Logan Campbell (born 7 June 1986 in Auckland[1]) is a New Zealand taekwondo practitioner who competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Campbell was first attracted to taekwondo as a child after watching The Karate Kid but initially struggled at the sport.[2] He kept at it and won his first international tournament at the age of 13.[2] He qualified for the 2005 Taekwondo World Championships and in 2006 won the WTF-Oceania Championships coming back from being down 3-0 in the final.[3][4] In order to take part internationally he was funded by his parents but shortly before the 2008 Olympics did manage to get some sponsorship.[2]

Campbell qualified for the Olympics after winning the Featherweight (under 68 kg) category at the 2007 Oceania Qualification Tournament and won the Korean Open in July 2008.[2] He broke his arm seven weeks before the Olympics, but it healed in time for him to participate.[5] However he was drawn against the 2007 World Champion Sung Yu-chi in the first round,[6] and lost to him 4-0.[7]

In July 2009 Campbell and his business partner, opened a brothel[8][9] in Auckland so he could finance himself to compete at the 2012 Olympics in London, England.[8] His 2008 Olympic campaign had cost $150,000 and Campbell hoped to raise the $300,000 that he estimated he would need for the 2012 Olympics.[10] Prostitution in registered brothels is legal in New Zealand and Campbell described what he was opening as a high class escort agency.[10] He was backed by his parents who had previously funded his Taekwondo career, with his father having taken two jobs to fund Campbell's international competition.[10] Campbell planned to take 2 years off from taekwondo in order to work full time before returning to training in 2011; however it was reported that his choice of business might count against him in being selected for the 2012 Olympics.[11].

References

  1. ^ "Logan Campbell". New Zealand Olympic Committee. http://www.zeus-sport.com/Olympic/Athletes/AthleteProfile.aspx?Print=&ContactID=29008. Retrieved 2009-07-12. 
  2. ^ a b c d "Taekwondo: Campbell's fighting chance". The New Zealand Herald. 2008-07-18. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/martial-arts/news/article.cfm?c_id=1500900&objectid=10522138. Retrieved 2009-07-12. 
  3. ^ "NZ Taekwondo Team Selected". SportsWeb. 2005-01-30. http://www.sportsweb.co.nz/cgi-bin/control.pl?Function=Results&Item=taek_20050130.txt&pageid=1107590408. Retrieved 2009-07-12. 
  4. ^ "Martial arts: Fighters survive bad start to sweep golds". The New Zealand Herald. 2006-08-28. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/martial-arts/news/article.cfm?c_id=1500900&objectid=10398327. Retrieved 2009-07-12. 
  5. ^ "Cheong wins before falling to favourite". Stuff.co.nz. 2008-08-21. http://www.stuff.co.nz/archived-stuff-sections/archived-sport-sections/olympics-2008/basketball-27897/591412. Retrieved 2009-07-12. 
  6. ^ "Taekwondo: NZ trio done no favours by draw". The New Zealand Herald. 2008-08-20. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/martial-arts/news/article.cfm?c_id=1500900&objectid=10528047. Retrieved 2009-07-12. 
  7. ^ "Pint-sized Cheong makes history on drab day". The New Zealand Herald. 2008-08-21. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/martial-arts/news/article.cfm?c_id=1500900&objectid=10528285. Retrieved 2009-07-12. 
  8. ^ a b "Kiwi opens brothel to fund campaign". The New Zealand Herald. 2009-07-12. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10583994. Retrieved 2009-07-12. 
  9. ^ "Logan Campbell". Logan Campbell. http://www.logancampbell.co.nz. Retrieved 2009-07-12. 
  10. ^ a b c Barrowclough, Anne (2009-07-12). "NZ athlete Logan Campbell funds 2012 Olympic bid with brothel". London: The Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/olympics/article6691745.ece. Retrieved 2009-07-12. 
  11. ^ "Olympic hopeful opens NZ brothel". BBC News Online. 2009-07-12. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8146782.stm. Retrieved 2009-07-12.