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- 2024
Olympics 2024: Laetitia Aoun, the Tall Blonde With a Black Belt
modified on 19 Aug. 2024 à 09:29 Read : 4 minute(s) A A A
As a child, Laetitia Aoun tried several sports, including tennis, horseback riding and judo, before settling on taekwondo. As a result, the 23-year-old champion will represent Lebanon at the Paris Games.
Don’t be mistaken. With her innocent look and azure blue eyes, this endearing young blonde girl, who seems as pure as an angel, is full of surprises. In just a few seconds, she can transform into a formidable fighter. You'll be convinced just by watching her during training as she relentlessly strikes her punching bag with her tae (foot) and kwon (fist) techniques.
A few days before the Games, the pressure is palpable among the athletes. Laetitia Aoun doesn’t seem overly concerned. Armed with rigorous preparation and an iron will, she focuses on her ultimate goal: winning an Olympic medal. “Yes, I am ready to go, to represent Lebanon, and to give my all. It's going to be great. I can't wait to be in Paris for the Olympic Games,” she told This is Beirut.
Young Athlete
Born in 2001 in Beirut, Laetitia Aoun discovered the world of sports very early. She started taekwondo at the age of 10, after practicing tennis, horseback riding and judo. Her natural talent for this martial art quickly became apparent. She began intensive training and participating in local and regional competitions.
She has been a Lebanese champion several times. She already won several international medals, notably securing bronze at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. She also won bronze at the 2021 Islamic Solidarity Games in Konya, Turkey.
Since her beginnings, she has been on an upward trajectory. In 2016, she won a bronze medal at the World Junior Championships in Vancouver, Canada. In 2018, she ranked second in the world among juniors, a performance that hinted at a promising career. Among seniors, Laetitia Aoun followed through with three Arab champion titles (2020, 2022 and 2024) and a ninth place at the World Championships.
Athletic Family
“Laetitia was born into a sporting family,” her father told This is Beirut. “She practiced several disciplines before focusing on taekwondo.” “She easily manages her passion for taekwondo alongside her medical studies. Honestly, I don’t know how she does it!” adds her father, who is himself a prominent Lebanese dermatologist, with pride.
“The level is very high, and there will be big names present as well. The most important thing for us is to go there with a cool head and score as many points as possible. We're not necessarily looking for a knockout. Laetitia is strong on her legs, there's an incredible explosiveness,” says her coach, David Sicot, to This is Beirut. “But as there will be formidable opponents, it will be a great competition. The most important thing will be to score and earn as many points as possible in our fights.”
Saint-Raphaël
“Next, we will go to Saint-Raphaël with my team, where we will train until August 3 before heading to Paris to start our competition,” explains Laetitia Aoun. Her ambition is clear, "The goal this summer is to go and take what we can, achieve the best results, make a great impression, and, of course, bring a medal back to Lebanon.”
Her coach shares this ambition, “Laetitia is ready, that's for sure, there’s no doubt about it. I met Laetitia at a competition where I was coaching another young athlete. In fact, Laetitia beat us the first time, and then we beat her. It happened like that, it was an encounter during an exchange of blows.”
Hard Work
“Laetitia works tirelessly to turn her dreams into reality. Her determination, talent and impressive journey place her among Lebanon’s most serious hopes for these Olympic Games,” adds David Sicot. “All combat disciplines are good to have at the Olympics. It’s certainly an opportunity for martial arts to shine. I remain convinced that taekwondo is still the most followed martial art at the Olympic Games. But in any case, we are going with the firm intention of achieving great results.”
“As you can see, my activities are numerous. I haven’t received any support from the Lebanese state,” she notes in passing. “I have won many titles and medals, and now I will focus my efforts on Paris-2024, to be the first Lebanese athlete to win an Olympic medal,” concludes Laetitia Aoun.
Will she be able to realize her dream and achieve the feat? What is certain is that all Lebanese eyes will be on Paris on August 8, when the young Lebanese champion will compete. It will be an opportunity for her to earn a new nickname: “The Tall Blonde With a Gold Medal.” We dare to dream.
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