Natália Falavigna

Natália Falavigna da Silva (born May 9, 1984[1] in Maringá[2][3]) is a taekwondo athlete from Brazil. She finished in the fourth place in the women's 67-kilogram category in taekwondo at the 2004 Summer Olympics on August 26,[3] and won the bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. It was the first Brazilian Olympic medal ever in taekwondo.[4]

Natália Falavigna
Personal information
BornMay 9, 1984 (1984-05-09) (age 39)
Maringá, PR, Brazil
Medal record
Women's taekwondo
Representing  Brazil
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place2008 Beijing+67 kg
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2005 Madrid−72 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2001 Jeju−63 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Beijing−72 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2009 Copenhagen+73 kg
Pan American Games
Silver medal – second place 2007 Rio de Janeiro+67 kg
South American Games
Gold medal – first place 2002 Rio de Janeiro−72 kg
Silver medal – second place 2014 Santiago+67 kg
Summer Universiade
Gold medal – first place 2009 Belgrade+72 kg
Silver medal – second place 2003 Daegu−72 kg

Personal life

Falavigna was born in Maringá, and grew up in another city in the Paraná state, Londrina. At the age of four, she saw judoka Aurélio Miguel win a gold medal in the 1988 Summer Olympics and was inspired to become an athlete.[5] She practiced volleyball, basketball, soccer, swimming, and the first she dedicated the most, handball. In 1998, Falavigna was introduced by a friend to taekwondo, and while the first classes were "by impulse", the coach said Falavigna had potential and could become world champion. Two years later, she won the World Junior Taekwondo Championships in Ireland, becoming the first Brazilian to do so.[6] In the four years that followed, Falavigna ended up on the top three in 9 of the 11 international competitions she entered. In 2003, Falavigna entered a state of depression and even considered trading taekwondo for tennis, but found a new strength to the sport after winning silver at the 2003 Summer Universiade.[5]

Achievements

Natália Falavigna won the following competitions:[2]

  • World Taekwondo Championship: 2005
  • World University Taekwondo Championship: 2006
  • World Junior Taekwondo Championship: 2000

Awards

Falavigna won the Brazilian Olympic Award's Women's Best Athlete of the Year in 2005,[7] and also won the 2002,[8] 2003,[9] 2004,[10] 2005,[7] 2006,[11] 2008,[12] and 2009 Best Taekwondo Athlete.[13]

Career

2000 World Junior Taekwondo Championship

In 2000, two years after starting practicing taekwondo, Falavigna won the World Youth Taekwondo Championship, held in Killarney, Republic of Ireland.[3][14] It was the first international tournament that she participated in.[3]

2001 World Taekwondo Championship

In 2001, in the World Taekwondo Championship held in Jeju, South Korea, Natália Falavigna won the bronze medal.[15]

2004 Summer Olympics

Natália Falavigna competed for the first time in the Olympics in 2004, when she finished in the fourth place in the competition. She was defeated in the semifinal by Chinese Chen Zhong. In the Repechage semifinals she defeated Italian Daniela Castrignano, but was beaten by Venezuelan Adriana Carmona in the bronze medal match.[16]

2005 World Taekwondo Championship

In 2005, in Madrid, Spain, Natália Falavigna defeated British Sarah Stevenson in the final, and won the World Taekwondo Championship.[17]

2007 World Taekwondo Championship

Falavigna won the bronze medal in the 2007 World Taekwondo Championship held in Beijing, China.[18]

2007 Pan American Games

Natália Falavigna performed the oath of the athletes at the opening ceremony of the Fifteenth Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro.[19]

She won the silver medal at the women's +67-kilogram category. Falavigna defeated Venezuelan Aura Paez in the semifinals,[20] but was defeated by Mexican María del Rosario Espinoza in the gold medal match.[21]

2008 Summer Olympics

The 2008 Olympic Games, held in Beijing, China, was Natália Falavigna's second participation in the Olympics. In the first stage, she defeated 3–1 the Greek Kyriaki Kouvari.[22] In the quarterfinals, Natália Falavigna beat the Australian Carmen Marton 5–2,[23] but she was defeated by Nina Solheim of Norway in the semifinals.[24] Falavigna won the bronze medal after beating the Swedish Karolina Kedzierska 5–2 in the bronze medal match of the Repechage.[25] Natália Falavigna's bronze medal was Brazil's first Olympic medal ever in taekwondo.[4]

2009 World Taekwondo Championship

In 2009, in the World Taekwondo Championship held in Copenhagen, Denmark, Natália Falavigna won the bronze medal.[26]

References
  1. "Natália Falavigna" (in Portuguese). Terra. Retrieved August 20, 2008.
  2. Guia do Pan – XV Jogos Pan-Americanos. Rio de Janeiro: Lance!, 2007
  3. "Natália Falavigna" (in Portuguese). UOL. Retrieved August 20, 2008.
  4. "Falavigna: 'Não poderia sair dos Jogos sem medalha'" (in Portuguese). Gazeta Esportiva. August 23, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2008.
  5. "Natália Falavigna" (in Portuguese). UOL. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  6. Marcelo Zorzanelli; Flavio Machado; Isabel Clemente (August 29, 2008). "Olimpo cor-de-rosa". Época (in Portuguese). Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  7. "VII Prêmio Brasil Olímpico" (in Portuguese). Brazilian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
  8. "IV Prêmio Brasil Olímpico" (in Portuguese). Brazilian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
  9. "V Prêmio Brasil Olímpico" (in Portuguese). Brazilian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
  10. "VI Prêmio Brasil Olímpico" (in Portuguese). Brazilian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
  11. "VIII Prêmio Brasil Olímpico" (in Portuguese). Brazilian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
  12. "Veja a lista dos vencedores do Prêmio Brasil Olímpico por esporte" (in Portuguese). UOL. November 24, 2008. Retrieved November 24, 2008.
  13. "COB anuncia nesta segunda-feira (21) os melhores atletas de 2009" (in Portuguese). Brazilian Olympic Committee. December 20, 2009. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  14. "3rd World Junior Taekwondo Championships". World Taekwondo Federation. Retrieved August 20, 2008.
  15. "Taekwondo World Championships Women: -63 kg". Sport123. Archived from the original on April 10, 2008. Retrieved August 20, 2008.
  16. "Falavigna cai na disputa do bronze diante de venezuelana" (in Portuguese). UOL. August 29, 2004. Retrieved July 18, 2007.
  17. "Brasileira vence mundial de Taekwondo" (in Portuguese). Tribuna Catarinense. April 15, 2005. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved July 18, 2007.
  18. "Algumas notícias retiradas do site da WTF sobre o Mundial de Taekwondo na China" (in Portuguese). Taekwondo.com.br. May 23, 2007. Retrieved August 20, 2008.
  19. "Cerimônia de abertura para ficar na história" (in Portuguese). Gazeta Esportiva. July 13, 2007. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
  20. "Schedule and Results by Sport – Taekwondo" (in Portuguese). 2007 Pan American Games official website. Archived from the original on August 12, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
  21. "Natália Falavigna perde na final e fica com a prata no taekwondo" (in Portuguese). Folha Online. July 17, 2007. Retrieved July 18, 2007.
  22. "Esperança no taekowndo, Natália Falavigna vence e vai às quartas" (in Portuguese). UOL. August 22, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2008.
  23. "Natália Falavigna vence a segunda e vai à semifinal no taekwondo" (in Portuguese). UOL. August 23, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2008.
  24. "Natália Falavigna perde de norueguesa, mas luta pelo bronze no taekwondo" (in Portuguese). UOL. August 23, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2008.
  25. "Natália Falavigna é bronze no taekwondo" (in Portuguese). Globo Online. August 23, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2008.
  26. "Taekwondo World Championships Women: -63 kg" (PDF). World Taekwondo Federation. Retrieved August 20, 2008.

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