By RYAN PYETTE -- Winnipeg Sun
 SYDNEY -- There is, above all else, a love to fight.

 A joy about kicking and being kicked (well, on second thought, not so much about being kicked).

 The idea of a good, action-packed bout brings a gleam to Manitoba's taekwondo hero Dominique Bosshart's eyes that even her Olympic bronze medal can't.

 When the 22-year-old gladiator really gets a chance to mix it up, she wears the look of a little kid who scored his or her first hockey hat trick, or hit his or her first home run.

 Even after she lost to Russian Natalia Ivanova in the second round yesterday, costing her the chance at gold, Bosshart was still more excited and animated than Canadian tennis stars Daniel Nestor and Sebastien Lareau were when they won doubles' gold over the Woodies last week.

 "Now, that was a fight," she laughed in the post-match media scrum. "Usually, the Russian girl runs away from me, but this time, we went at it, and it was really fun."

 No competitor in the women's over-67kg class, or even the men's heavyweights for that matter, came close to matching Bosshart's appeal.

 She scores a lot of points, but she gives up a ton, too.

 In three of her four bouts yesterday, the pride of Landmark had the agonizing habit of spotting her opponents 3-0 leads before mounting a comeback charge that raised spectators from their seats.

 An Aussie bloke who'd never seen taekwondo before but wanted to see some part of the Olympics so he bought his way in to the State Sports Centre, had high praise for her abilities.

 "Your Canadian was the show," he said. "She was, for me, worth the price of this ticket."

 Taekwondo can be, like boxing, a tremendously boring sport when the two fighters decide to play mind games.

 Because there's no ropes, when someone runs away from their opponent in taekwondo, it looks like two bunnies hopping through the forest.

 Bosshart will never be accused of being a bunny. She does not play for the tie for three rounds or hope the judges will sort it out in her favour.

 "It's the only way I can do it," she said. "If I hesitate, I'm lost. The mental aspect has always been the biggest thing for me. If I go out and be aggressive, I'm at my best.

 "If not, I'm in trouble."

 Manitoba now has a well-spoken, upbeat Olympic medallist.

 "I hope this medal raises the awareness of taekwondo in Canada, I think it's a great sport," said Bosshart. "I don't have any sponsorship, either, and it would be nice to have some support."

 Those are dreams, and they will happen if someone recognizes the appeal of a pretty woman who also has the unique ability of kicking people's teeth out.

 But until those dreams come true, just give Dominique Bosshart a good fight and an opponent who doesn't run.

 That, for her, is sporting heaven.