---

Performance director Gary Hall says Britain's taekwondo fighters are still on course for Olympic success despite the resignation of Aaron Cook.

European champion Cook left the World Class Performance programme last week to pursue his own training schedule outside the guidance of GB Taekwondo.

But Hall says he is confident in his remaining members' preparations ahead of London 2012.

"Our guys are rising to those challenges and are doing really well."

He said the next 18 months will be both challenging and rewarding for the candidates hoping to earn one of the four places awarded by the British Olympic Association.

"Competition is good and let's hope we get as many athletes to the selection post fit and healthy," he said.

"London 2012 offers a great opportunity for the sport to grow. It also offers great opportunities for the fighters who are there to win major medals and become superstars."

Rumours of Cook's unrest followed a disappointing World Championship campaign in May that saw the -80kg fighter dumped out in the first round.

The reigning European champion had a brief return to form earlier this month when he won the Austrian Open - but the field was significantly weakened due to key competitors being away preparing for a forthcoming Olympic qualification event.

Cook's resignation does not count him out of possible Olympic selection. A good showing in key international open events in the next year could see him included in the team.

However, he will lose the Athlete Personal Award and will have to fund his own travel and training costs.

Hall hinted that he felt that Cook's long-term future would have been best served within Team GB.

"Aaron's decision does disappoint us because we have worked with him for a long time and what we have done as a team with Aaron is a great achievement - he has been European and world junior champion, then now senior European champion."

"We do believe full-time [training] is fundamental to win Olympic gold, and that is why we created the programme we did in Manchester.

"To win Olympic gold, you have to take care of every single detail and we have a staff who can do that."

Although disappointed, Hall insists the 20-year-old's decision to go it alone will not taint their working relationship.

"It is not going to benefit either of us to end it at loggerheads," he said.

Performance director Gary Hall says Britain's taekwondo fighters are still on course for Olympic success despite the resignation of Aaron Cook.

European champion Cook left the World Class Performance programme last week to pursue his own training schedule outside the guidance of GB Taekwondo.

But Hall says he is confident in his remaining members' preparations ahead of London 2012.

"Our guys are rising to those challenges and are doing really well."

He said the next 18 months will be both challenging and rewarding for the candidates hoping to earn one of the four places awarded by the British Olympic Association.

"Competition is good and let's hope we get as many athletes to the selection post fit and healthy," he said.

"London 2012 offers a great opportunity for the sport to grow. It also offers great opportunities for the fighters who are there to win major medals and become superstars."

Rumours of Cook's unrest followed a disappointing World Championship campaign in May that saw the -80kg fighter dumped out in the first round.

The reigning European champion had a brief return to form earlier this month when he won the Austrian Open - but the field was significantly weakened due to key competitors being away preparing for a forthcoming Olympic qualification event.

Cook's resignation does not count him out of possible Olympic selection. A good showing in key international open events in the next year could see him included in the team.

However, he will lose the Athlete Personal Award and will have to fund his own travel and training costs.

Hall hinted that he felt that Cook's long-term future would have been best served within Team GB.

"Aaron's decision does disappoint us because we have worked with him for a long time and what we have done as a team with Aaron is a great achievement - he has been European and world junior champion, then now senior European champion."

"We do believe full-time [training] is fundamental to win Olympic gold, and that is why we created the programme we did in Manchester.

"To win Olympic gold, you have to take care of every single detail and we have a staff who can do that."

Although disappointed, Hall insists the 20-year-old's decision to go it alone will not taint their working relationship.

"It is not going to benefit either of us to end it at loggerheads," he said.

European champion Aaron Cook has quit British Taekwondo's World Class Performance setup in Manchester.

The -80kg fighter entered 2011 as the world number one, but suffered a surprise opening round defeat at the World Championships in May.

"We're sad to lose any athlete with talent, but it's his decision and we respect that," said performance director Gary Hall.

GB Taekwondo say Cook will now 'pursue his own development programme'.

Rumours of unrest began to come to light in the aftermath of his world championships elimination. Speaking in Korea, Cook told BBC Sport that it was "back to the drawing board."

"I was rubbish," said Cook. "One or two kicks and I was stopping, it's not myself, a new coach has tried to introduce new things and improve my game, but unfortunately it hasn't gone well for me this year.

"Maybe I need to get back to what I used to know, kicking people around the ring when I was 16. I'm 20 years old and I'm going out in the first round, it's just not good enough," reflected Cook.

Keen to banish memories of his painful defeat in Korea, the Dorset-born fighter travelled to Austria earlier this month and restored some confidence with a winning return.

However, the field was significantly weakened by the number of elite fighters who were away preparing for the forthcoming World Olympic qualification tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan and GB taekwondo performance director Gary Hall admitted there was "still a lot of thinking to be done" to help Cook to return to the kind of form which saw him crowded the 2010 European Champion.

Despite weeks of talks and negotiations between British Taekwondo and Cook's management team, a resolution could not be found.

"Aaron's had a good stint since 2006 and done really well, but the last six months haven't gone to his plan and to his expectation and his view is that he's going to do it in a different way and we respect his decision," said Hall.

"He's not finished as part of the GB Team at all, he's just gone away to pursue his own plan and we wish him the very best with that."

European champion Aaron Cook has quit British Taekwondo's World Class Performance setup in Manchester.

The -80kg fighter entered 2011 as the world number one, but suffered a surprise opening round defeat at the World Championships in May.

"We're sad to lose any athlete with talent, but it's his decision and we respect that," said performance director Gary Hall.

GB Taekwondo say Cook will now 'pursue his own development programme'.

Rumours of unrest began to come to light in the aftermath of his world championships elimination. Speaking in Korea, Cook told BBC Sport that it was "back to the drawing board."

"I was rubbish," said Cook. "One or two kicks and I was stopping, it's not myself, a new coach has tried to introduce new things and improve my game, but unfortunately it hasn't gone well for me this year.

"Maybe I need to get back to what I used to know, kicking people around the ring when I was 16. I'm 20 years old and I'm going out in the first round, it's just not good enough," reflected Cook.

Keen to banish memories of his painful defeat in Korea, the Dorset-born fighter travelled to Austria earlier this month and restored some confidence with a winning return.

However, the field was significantly weakened by the number of elite fighters who were away preparing for the forthcoming World Olympic qualification tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan and GB taekwondo performance director Gary Hall admitted there was "still a lot of thinking to be done" to help Cook to return to the kind of form which saw him crowded the 2010 European Champion.

Despite weeks of talks and negotiations between British Taekwondo and Cook's management team, a resolution could not be found.

"Aaron's had a good stint since 2006 and done really well, but the last six months haven't gone to his plan and to his expectation and his view is that he's going to do it in a different way and we respect his decision," said Hall.

"He's not finished as part of the GB Team at all, he's just gone away to pursue his own plan and we wish him the very best with that."

"The quality of the field wasn't quite what it could have been, as some of the strongest fighters [in the -80kg division] are preparing for the Olympic qualifiers next month," said Hall.

"There's still a lot of thinking to be done if he's to get back to the top, but it was a good result for him and I'm sure he's got what he wanted from that event."

Bronze for Gayle was a significant achievement for the 19-year-old, who has endured an injury-plagued 18 months and had last medalled internationally at Paris Open in late 2009.

He saw off the challenge posed by Slovakian Ondrej Cehlar (11-2), Viktor Jankovsky of the Czech Republic (3-2) and -63kg world silver medallist Konstantinos Konstantinidis of Greece (8-3), in the quarter-finals.

His winning run came to an end with a 9-7 defeat to the eventual winner, Jure Panter from Slovenia.

"We are really pleased to see Jordan returning to competitive action following a long rehabilitation period," said Hall.

"To achieve what he has after so long out following surgery is incredible, so we're extremely delighted he's brought back a medal."

Speaking before the competition, Gayle said he had been desperate to return to the mat.

"Having missed out on the World Championships I'm obviously keen to get back into competition and I've been working really hard in training,"

"I'll do the same at the Nationals [18-19 June] and then I'll focus on winning the British Open in October," said the Manchester fighter.

Along with Cook's -80kg division, Gayle's -68kg category was recently selected by British Taekwondo for inclusion at the 2012 Olympics.

The sole -68kg place will be keenly contested as Britain boasts three other leading fighters, in the form of World Championship bronze medallist Martin Stamper, -62kg World silver medallist Michael Harvey and British Champion Tony Grisman.

Stamper recently attributed his good form to fatherhood, whilst last month Hall said the contest was "too close to call" just over a year away from the Olympic Games.

"Tony Grisman, Michael Harvey, Martin Stamper and Jordan Gayle all have the potential to take that place, they won't make it easy for us, but it's a great position for the British team to be in," Hall told BBC Sport.

Great Britain will miss the World Olympic qualification tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan next month, because they already have guarenteed places for London 2012 as hosts of the Games.

It means their next competition is likely to be the British Open in October, with the 2012 European Championships in Manchester their last major event before the Olympics.

"The quality of the field wasn't quite what it could have been, as some of the strongest fighters [in the -80kg division] are preparing for the Olympic qualifiers next month," said Hall.

"There's still a lot of thinking to be done if he's to get back to the top, but it was a good result for him and I'm sure he's got what he wanted from that event."

Bronze for Gayle was a significant achievement for the 19-year-old, who has endured an injury-plagued 18 months and had last medalled internationally at Paris Open in late 2009.

He saw off the challenge posed by Slovakian Ondrej Cehlar (11-2), Viktor Jankovsky of the Czech Republic (3-2) and -63kg world silver medallist Konstantinos Konstantinidis of Greece (8-3), in the quarter-finals.

His winning run came to an end with a 9-7 defeat to the eventual winner, Jure Panter from Slovenia.

"We are really pleased to see Jordan returning to competitive action following a long rehabilitation period," said Hall.

"To achieve what he has after so long out following surgery is incredible, so we're extremely delighted he's brought back a medal."

Speaking before the competition, Gayle said he had been desperate to return to the mat.

"Having missed out on the World Championships I'm obviously keen to get back into competition and I've been working really hard in training,"

"I'll do the same at the Nationals [18-19 June] and then I'll focus on winning the British Open in October," said the Manchester fighter.

Along with Cook's -80kg division, Gayle's -68kg category was recently selected by British Taekwondo for inclusion at the 2012 Olympics.

The sole -68kg place will be keenly contested as Britain boasts three other leading fighters, in the form of World Championship bronze medallist Martin Stamper, -62kg World silver medallist Michael Harvey and British Champion Tony Grisman.

Stamper recently attributed his good form to fatherhood, whilst last month Hall said the contest was "too close to call" just over a year away from the Olympic Games.

"Tony Grisman, Michael Harvey, Martin Stamper and Jordan Gayle all have the potential to take that place, they won't make it easy for us, but it's a great position for the British team to be in," Hall told BBC Sport.

Great Britain will miss the World Olympic qualification tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan next month, because they already have guarenteed places for London 2012 as hosts of the Games.

It means their next competition is likely to be the British Open in October, with the 2012 European Championships in Manchester their last major event before the Olympics.