Lauren Williams (taekwondo)

Lauren Williams
Personal information
NicknameLoz
NationalityWelsh
Born (1999-02-25) 25 February 1999 (age 25)
Blackwood, Wales, United Kingdom
Height176 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight67 kg (148 lb)
Sport
CountryGreat Britain
SportTaekwondo
Event –67 kg
ClubGB Olympic Academy
TeamGBR
Turned pro2013
Coached byMichael Harvey
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking2
Medal record
Women's taekwondo
Representing  Great Britain
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2020 Tokyo 67 kg
Grand Slam
Gold medal – first place 2018 Wuxi 67 kg
Grand Prix
Gold medal – first place 2017 London 67 kg
Gold medal – first place 2018 Manchester 67 kg
Silver medal – second place 2018 Moscow 67 kg
Silver medal – second place 2019 Sofia 67 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Rome 67 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Manchester 67 kg
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2016 Montreux 67 kg
Gold medal – first place 2018 Kazan 67 kg
Silver medal – second place 2021 Sofia 67 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Manchester 67 kg
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2014 Taipei 59 kg
Gold medal – first place 2016 Burnaby 68 kg
Updated on 15 December 2022

Lauren Williams (born 25 February 1999) is a Welsh taekwondo athlete who represents Great Britain.

Career

Williams first practised kickboxing for ten years, but switched to taekwondo when she watched Jade Jones win a gold Olympic medal at the "Inspire A Generation" 2012 Summer Olympics.[1][2] In kickboxing, she had won twelve World Championships titles and 20 European Championships titles.[3] After switching to taekwondo, Wiliams was first selected to be part of the British national team at age 14 and has since been training in Manchester.[4][5]

In 2014 and 2016, Williams won two consecutive gold medals in the Junior World Championships, first in the 59 kg competition, then in the 68 kg competition.[6][7][8] As a senior, she competes in the 67 kg weight class and became European Champion in 2016 and 2018.[9] Additionally, she has received one European silver medal (in 2021) and one bronze (in 2022).[6]

In December 2018, Williams won the Grand Slam Series held in Wuxi, China. Williams has won two gold medals from the Grand Prix Series as well as two silver and two bronze medals, her latest bronze medal win being in Manchester in 2022.[6]

2020 Olympic Games

She qualified a quota place for Great Britain at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games through the automatic qualification for the top five ranked athletes in each Olympic weight category. In 2021 - as the Games were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic - Williams tore her right hamstring three weeks before the taekwondo fights yet won the Olympic silver medal in the under 67 kg weight category, only losing the final to Matea Jelić. Williams later expressed regret regarding the final, which she led by six points until the last ten seconds[10] when Jelić suddenly turned the match around, stating to have had a 'mental block' during the end of the last round.[11][4]

2021-2024 Season

At the 2021 Women Championships in Riyadh, Williams won a bronze medal. She participated in the 2022 and 2023 World Championships in Guadalajara and Baku, respectively.[12]

In 2022, she won a bronze medal in the 67 kg weight class at the European Championships and the Grand Prix, both times in Manchester.[6]

Due to a ruptured hamstring tendon at the 2023 Rome Grand Prix, she did not participate in the 2023 European Games in Kraków and underwent surgery in June.[13]

References

  1. ^ Williams, Alan. "2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony, Youtube Comment by Alan Williams". Youtube.
  2. ^ "Lauren Williams Team GB Athlete Profile". Team GB.
  3. ^ Igbava, Joan (17 May 2019). "The rise of 20-year-old taekwondo star Lauren Williams, who won her first world title aged six". Latest Sports News In Nigeria. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  4. ^ a b Bull, Andy (26 July 2021). "'I messed up' – Lauren Williams rues late heartbreak after taekwondo silver". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  5. ^ Williams, Rhys (22 July 2020). "Taekwondo star discusses eventful lockdown as Olympic training resumes". Caerphilly Observer. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d "TaekwondoData". TaekwondoData. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  7. ^ "Lauren Williams". GB Taekwondo. 6 August 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  8. ^ "Taekwondo: Blackwood's Lauren Williams storms to Grand Prix gold | Caerphilly.Observer". Caerphilly Observer. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  9. ^ "Williams defends title at European Taekwondo Championships". www.insidethegames.biz. 12 May 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  10. ^ Lucas, Katherine (26 July 2021). "Williams gives up six-point lead in last seconds of taekwondo final to miss out on Olympic gold". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  11. ^ "Team GB's Lauren Williams wins taekwondo silver as Jelic takes gold". The Guardian. 26 July 2021.
  12. ^ "Olympic silver winner Williams eyes World medal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  13. ^ "Wales' Williams and Mathias out of European Games". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 October 2023.