Marlène Harnois

Marlène Harnois

Medal record
Competitor for  France
Women’s taekwondo
Olympic Games
2012 London 57 kg
World Championships
2011 Gyeongju Featherweight
European Championships
2012 Manchester Lightweight
2008 Rome Lightweight
2010 Saint Petersburg Welterweight
Universiade
2011 Shenzhen Featherweight
2009 Belgrade Lightweight

Marlene Olivia Harnois (born 22 October 1986 in Montreal) is a Canadian-born French taekwondo Olympic medalist and philanthropist. In addition she is European champion, World University champion, World Taekwondo Championships medalist and Knight if the Order of Merit.[1]

Harnois was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.[2] She became a Canadian Junior National champion at the age of 11. Two years later, she won Bronze at the World Junior Taekwondo Championships. Invited by the French Taekwondo Federation, she moved to France in 2001 to train for a period of one year, returning to Canada afterwards where she gave up the sport for almost four years. She returned to France in 2006 to resume her taekwondo career, becoming a French citizen in April 2008 and winning the European Championships a few days later.[3][4]

She won a Gold medal at both the European Championships in 2008 and 2012 and a Bronze medal at the European Championships in 2010.[5]

She won a Bronze medal at the 2011 World Taekwondo Championships in Women's featherweight.

In 2011, she won the Universiades Games in Shenzen by beating the World Champion, Yuzhuo Hou, from China at home in the final match. During that season, she also won the US Open, Russia Open and Israel Open. 

At her first Olympics (the 2012 Summer Olympics) in London, she won a Bronze medal in the −57 kg category by beating Japan's Mayu Hamada in finals.[6]

Honours

On 1 March 2013, she received the distinction of Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite by the President of France, Mr François Hollande at the Élysée Palace.[7]

Beginnings

Marlene discovers Taekwondo at the age of four, with her older sister Stephanie. Both are enrolled in a neighborhood club located on the south shore of Montreal. She earns her black belt at the age of nine and stands out quickly at provincial and national levels. During her youth, she also won competitions in other sports including a Quebec Championship in fencing (foil), in handball (with the high school team of Pierre-Brosseau, where she was enrolled in sports studies program), as well as several snowboard competitions.

Canadian Team

In 1997, for her first participation, she wins the Canadian Junior National Taekwondo Championships. After three years of consecutive victories making her National Champion, she made her debut on the international scene and wins the 1999 US Open. At age 13, Marlene is selected to represent Canada at the 2000 World Junior Championships in Killarney, Ireland and wins the Bronze medal. The Canadian martial art prodigy immediately gained international attention within her sport.

Journey in France (2001 - 2002)

As part of the International Francophone Solidarity program, French Taekwondo Federation (FFTDA) offers Marlene to join the French training center for the sport season 2001-2002. Believing in her dream, the young athlete then 14 years old decided to leave her Canadian club, Black Belt World located in Toronto to move to Europe in order to reach her goals. Arriving in France, Marlene trains in Aix-en-Provence training center (CREPS) with Pascal Gentil (twice Olympic medalist) and Mamedy Doucara (welterweight, World Champion 2001). Following her sport performances, the Canadian athlete is quickly outclassed as Senior and wins the Francophone World Cup in -67 kg and receives the title of « MVP, Best Fighter ».

Athletic career on hold (2002 - 2005)

One year into the International Solidarity Francophone program, established by the FFTDA, Marlene returned to Canada, where she continued to practice occasionally in her club and won the Korea Open in 2003. Demotivated by the lack of training structure, funding and partners, Marlene took a break from her sports career for several years.

Back to France in 2006

Still dreaming about the Olympics, Marlene accepted a proposition made by the French Taekwondo Federation and moved back to France to train at the National Olympic Center. She joined the group led by Myriam Baverel at the Aix-en-Provence training center (CREPS) and won all the International Open Championships; Mexico World Open, Dutch Open, Israel Open, Spanish Open, Andorra Cup, Bilbao Open. At the same time, she pursued her scholarship and earned a certificate in physical education and a license degree (bac+4) in management. In 2008, just days after receiving her French naturalization, Marlene won the European Championships in the category -63 kg.

Olympic Preparation (2008 - 2012)

In 2008, Marlene joins the elite group at the National Institute of Sport, Expertise and Performance (INSEP) in Paris to prepare for the London Olympics. During the 2010 season, she decides to cut weight to fight in a lighter category, the 49 – 57 kg to optimize her Olympic chances. On top of her game, she dominates the international scene and wins the US Open, Russia Open, Israel Open, Paris International Tournament, Deutsch Open and wins gold at the European Championships in Manchester, Universiades Games and medals at the World Taekwondo Championships. She also wins the Olympic quota for France at the World Olympic Qualification Tournament in Kazan, Russia. She is a bronze medalist at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Charity Work, Endorsement and Other Media

Other Media: In parallel to her sport career, she obtained a BA in Journalism and Communications (CFJ-INSEP), starred in an advertising campaign for Allianz, worked for various medias and Conix Services. She is also involved which various foundations and is an ambassador for "Un Maillot Pour la Vie".er,

In 2012, she joins RTL radio station' show "On refait le Sport avec Sylvain Charley" and is live on air every Thursday night. She also is a consultant for the channel Eurosport on the TV program « Campus ».  

In 2013, she became a model for Blune. 

Results

2012

[8] 2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

Also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.taekwondodata.com/marlene-harnois.a6vq.html
  2. ↑ "Taekwondo: Marlène Harnois en demi-finale des Mondiaux". La Provence. Retrieved 16 November 2011.
  3. ↑ "Harnois relance la machine". Eurosport. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  4. ↑ "Un sens à ma vie". L'Équipe. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  5. ↑ "WTF World Championships 2011 Womens Results". Retrieved 16 November 2011.
  6. ↑ "Harnois la vaillante". L'Équipe. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  7. ↑ http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do;jsessionid=ACDBAB1E59D8615BEF5A8EEE335461DA.tpdjo09v_2?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000026871340&dateTexte=&oldAction=rechJO&categorieLien=id
  8. ↑ http://www.wtf.org/bbs/bbs.php?bbs_no=6405&bbs_code=10001&bbs_cate=&bbs_num=433&page=4&search=&keyword=&symode=view&PHPSESSID=be9fdabf61ebc99bbc8ceea272d7e445
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