Althéa Laurin

Olympic Gold Medalist and World Champion Althéa Laurin launched her illustrious international taekwondo career in 2016, rapidly ascending through the junior ranks. In 2017, Laurin secured a gold medal at the European Taekwondo Junior Championships in Larnaca, demonstrating early dominance. She followed this success with another gold at the 2018 Junior World Championship in Hammamet, solidifying her consistent trajectory of elite performance in junior categories. Laurin made her impactful Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics in the Women’s +67 kg category, where she advanced through the competition by defeating notable athletes including Briseida Acosta and Olympic champion Zheng Shuyin, ultimately earning a bronze medal.

This achievement marked her significant establishment on the global stage. Following this, she continued to excel, winning a gold medal at the 2022 European Taekwondo Championships in Manchester and securing 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, accumulating 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 unparalleled achievements includes her appointment as Knight of the National Order of Merit in 2021 and Knight of the Legion of Honour in 2024. Most recently, in March 2024, the French Embassy in Korea named one of its halls after her, recognizing her status as a leading figure in international sports. Laurin continues to compete at the highest international levels, holding titles as an Olympic and World Champion.