Jamaica's gold medal winner, Kenneth Edwards (left), and silver medal-winning team captain, Jason McKay, pose with their medals at last weekend's All North American and Caribbean Taekwon-Do Championships in New York. - photo by Ainsley Walters

JAMAICA TAEKWON-DO's Kenneth Edwards believes he has finally found a suitable weight class following his impressive gold medal performance at last weekend's All-North American and Caribbean International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) Championships in New York City.

Edwards, a 21-year-old University of Technology (UTech) student, was one of two Jamaican gold medal winners at the tournament. Fellow UTech student, heavyweight green belt Ryan Lincoln, took home Jamaica's other gold medal.

Jamaica Taekwon-Do continued its impressive showing on the international circuit with two additional medals - both silver, won by super heavyweight Jason McKay and 14-year-old Jamaica College green belt Akeem Lawrence.

However, Edwards' victory was a gratifying one as the man dubbed Jamaica's most exciting fighter won his first individual International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) title, ending the 2007 season on a high following a disappointing summer.

Edwards' bid as a welterweight to win titles at three successive tournaments, including the Pan-Am Games in Brazil, ended prematurely as he made first-round exits.

However, moving up to the heavyweight division has seemingly paid off for the Jamaica Taekwon-Do star.

Much quicker against heavyweights

"I am much quicker against heavyweights," he said, reflecting on losses at the World Taekwon-Do Championships in Quebec, Canada and the US Open World Championships in Orlando, Florida, tournaments at which he competed in the welterweight category.

Edwards clinched his first individual ITF title after ripping through rivals. On his way to beating his Dominican Republic opponent in the final, Edwards brushed aside fighters from the host nation and invitees Poland.

Edwards' fellow UTech student, Lincoln, did extremely well, competing internationally for the first time as he took silver in green belt sparring after demolishing opponents from Colombia, Brazil, Mexico and the U.S. Lawrence, the Jamaica College teenager was also on his first international assignment. He had missed the opportunity to compete at July's U.S. Open in Orlando after being denied a visa to enter the U.S.

Lawrence was beaten by a more experienced American in the final and was further hampered by a merging of the different weight classes in his division.

In the senior division, team captain McKay, a bronze medal winner at the 2003 championships, was in good form and easily got past Carlos Ayala of Colombia in the super heavyweight semi-finals.

However, a valiant McKay went down in overtime to the Dominican Republic's Manuel Tavares after both fighters battled to a draw in full time.