MANNINGHAM Taekwondo students stole the show at the Australian Taekwondo Championships in Queensland earlier this year.

The five students aged 11 and upwards won six gold medals between them. Shelley Peterson, of Templestowe, won the women's black belt sparring division, Mark Arena, of Doncaster, won the junior blue belt sparring division and Nicole Harvey, of Doncaster, won the women's blue belt sparring division.

Bianca No, of Bulleen, won two junior black belt divisions, sparring and patterns. Catherine Schwof, of Doncaster, who will try out for the first Taekwondo Olympic team in October, won the women's red belt sparring division.

All five students train at Manningham Park Primary School for about two hours every day. They had competed in the state championships earlier this year to qualify for the nationals.

Bianca, 11, said the competition at the national championships was strong.

"It was tough because it was the nationals and there were a lot of kids competing," Bianca said.

"But I had been training hard and I thought I deserved to win. I was very proud of myself."

Picture by Colin Stuckey