At 25, Magda Wiet-Hénin participated in her first Olympic Games. A little girl’s dream for the Nancy, who hopes to win the first Olympic gold medal in the history of French taekwondo.
She had always dreamed of it. At 25, Magda Wiet-Hénin will fight this Monday, July 26, 2021 for the first time in her career at the Olympic Games. His goal since his beginnings in taekwondo at PUNCH Nancy. She will start her tournament at 6 am French time, against the Egyptian Hedaya Wahba, bronze medalist in Rio. The culmination of an obstacle course.
A long wait
After the postponement of the games and the complete cessation of competitions for several months, on May 7, during the Olympic qualifying tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria, the Nancy finally validates her ticket for Tokyo.
A first step, because the young woman has only one idea in mind: to climb to the top step of the podium. “I live for Olympic gold. This has been my goal since I was 6 years old. Olympic gold is what motivates me on a daily basis ”.
Olympic gold is what motivates me every day
To win the holy grail, it is at INSEP, the temple of French sport that she has been training for 8 years. Rosendo Alonso, European champion in 2004, is the national coach of the France team. The Spaniard is full of praise for his protege: “She is very hardworking, very professional. For me this is an example. Any coach dreams of having an athlete like her ”.
Magda Wiet-Hénin multiplies preparation courses before Tokyo
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© Lydia Querin
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The legacy fight
This daily high-level sportswoman, Magda, was fed there from an early age. Her mother, Valérie Hénin, was world champion in Kick-boxing, full contact and boxing in the 90s. But also triple champion of France in taekwondo. “She supports me a lot. She knows the difficulties of a high level career, and she knows how to motivate and comfort me ”, says the young woman.
Objectif or
Before her big departure for Tokyo, Magda returned home to Lorraine. His last internship took place at the Olympic preparation center in Vittel. The opportunity to multiply oppositions and prepare combat strategies as explained to us by Louis Lacoste, Director of High Level at the French Taekwondo Federation: “At the Olympics we know the table in advance and therefore our opponents. We can therefore prepare well, especially at the tactical level ”.
Magda Wiet-Hénin was crowned European champion in December 2020
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© Lydia Querin
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Multi-medalist internationally, Magda has evolved without skipping stages. A steady progression for 10 years. After bronze in 2014 and silver in 2016, last December, she won gold at the European Championships in the under 67kg: “I didn’t have the best medals straight away. I had to work, question myself and it came gradually. I think that’s what got me where I am today ”.
This July 26, 2021 Magda Wiet-Hénin has an appointment with the history of her discipline. Never has a French woman won an Olympic gold medal in taekwondo.
Magda Wiet-Hénin: the Olympic dream
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