Althéa Laurin

Althéa Laurin was born on September 1, 2001, in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France, with family origins in Martinique. She began her international taekwondo career in 2016. In 2017, Laurin secured a gold medal at the European Taekwondo Junior Championships in Larnaca, followed by another gold at the 2018 Junior World Championship in Hammamet. Her early career demonstrated a consistent trajectory of performance and achievement in junior categories.

Laurin made her Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics when she was 19. She advanced through the competition, defeating notable athletes such as Briseida Acosta and Olympic champion Zheng Shuyin, ultimately earning a bronze medal in the Women’s +67 kg category. This achievement marked a significant milestone, establishing her presence on the global stage. Following this, she continued to excel, winning a gold medal at the 2022 European Taekwondo Championships in Manchester and a bronze at the 2022 Mediterranean Games in Oran.

In 2023, Laurin further solidified her standing by winning a gold medal in the women’s middleweight category at the World Taekwondo Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, notably defeating Rebecca McGowan. Her performance led to her ranking number one in both world and Olympic rankings that year, with a total of 477 points. Her career reached another peak at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she earned a gold medal in the Women’s +67kg category, becoming the first French Olympic champion in Taekwondo. Recognition for her achievements includes being appointed Knight of the National Order of Merit in 2021 and Knight of the Legion of Honour in 2024. In March 2024, the French Embassy in Korea named one of its halls after her.