All smiles, Althéa Laurin adorns herself with a blue-white-red flag to go around the tatami at Makuhari Messe. Calmly. Without excess. At 19 years old, the young taekwondo player has just won a bronze medal in +67 kg against the Ivorian Aminata Charlène Traoré (17-8). France’s eighth in the discipline. “I don’t really realize,” smiles almost shyly the Ile-de-France resident after a long embrace with her coach. There is joy but also the bitterness of not having won gold. »
However, the Habs did not miss their first Olympic tournament. Far from there. After beating the reigning Olympic champion and world No. 2 Zheng Shuyin in the quarterfinals, Laurin came up against the experienced Serbian Milica Mandic, titled… in 2012. “She was able to remobilize after her defeat and that validates her performance of the day even if she had legitimately come to look for gold, appreciates the DTN Louis Lacoste. This bronze clearly marks its permanent evolution. Now, it is certain that the appointment is given for 2024.”
