María Sara Grippoli
{{Short description|Uruguayan taekwondo practitioner (born 2004 or 2005)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{family name hatnote|Grippoli|Gagliardo|lang=Spanish}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = María Sara Grippoli
| image = María Sara Grippoli on Desayunos Informales facing.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Grippoli in 2024
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2004|12|28|df=y}}
| birth_place = Montevideo, Uruguay
| death_date =
| death_place =
| education = Universidad de la Empresa
| height =
| weight =
| country = {{URU}}
| sport = Taekwondo
| weight_class = 49 kg
| club =
}}
María Sara Grippoli Gagliardo (born 28 December 2004){{Cite news|url=https://www.elpais.com.uy/ovacion/multideportivo/maria-sara-grippoli-la-joven-que-llevo-al-taekwondo-uruguayo-a-los-juegos-olimpicos-sueno-con-pelearlos|newspaper=El País|title=María Sara Grippoli, la joven que llevó al taekwondo uruguayo a los Juegos Olímpicos: "Sueño con pelearlos"|trans-title=María Sara Grippoli, the young woman who brought Uruguayan taekwondo to the Olympic Games: “I dream of fighting them”|author=Sobrero, Alberto|date=11 April 2024|language=Spanish}} is a Uruguayan taekwondo practitioner. She qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics and was named her country's flag bearer. She is the first Olympic taekwondo practitioner from Uruguay.
Biography
Grippoli learned taekwondo at the Lee Academy aged five, but did not begin fighting competitively until 2016.{{Cite web|url=https://www.montevideo.com.uy/Deportes/Maria-Sara-Grippoli-la-taekwondista-uruguaya-que-hizo-historia-e-ira-a-Paris-2024-uc885030|website=Montevideo.com.uy|language=Spanish|trans-title=María Sara Grippoli, the Uruguayan taekwondo player who made history and will go to Paris 2024|title=María Sara Grippoli, la taekwondista uruguaya que hizo historia e irá a París 2024|date=10 April 2024}} Her two sisters are taekwondo practitioners as well. By 2019, Grippoli had become a member of the national team. She competed at the 2022 South American Youth Games in the 49 kg category and won the bronze medal.
Grippoli began competing in senior competitions later that year, participating at that year's Pan American Taekwondo Championships.{{Cite web|url=https://www.taekwondodata.com/maria-sara-grippoli-gagliardo.a13f2.html|website=TaekwondoData.com|title=Grippoli Gagliardo, Maria Sara}} By June 2023, she was ranked 48th globally in her category.{{Cite news|url=https://www.elobservador.com.uy/juegos-olimpicos/juegos-olimpicos-2024-emiliano-lasa-y-sara-grippoli-son-los-abanderados-uruguay-n5950281|newspaper=El Observador|trans-title= Olympics 2024: Emiliano Lasa and Sara Grippoli are the flags of Uruguay|date=8 July 2024|language=Spanish|title=Juegos Olímpicos 2024: Emiliano Lasa y Sara Grippoli son los abanderados de Uruguay}} That month, she competed at the World Taekwondo Championships and placed 17th in her division.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tenfield.com.uy/taekwondo-maria-sara-grippoli-debuto-con-triunfo-llego-hasta-segunda-ronda-en-el-mundial/|publisher=Tenfield|title=Taekwondo: María Sara Grippoli debutó con triunfo y llegó hasta segunda ronda en el Mundial|trans-title=Taekwondo: María Sara Grippoli debuted with victory and reached the second round in the World Cup|language=Spanish|author=Laca, Adriana|date=31 May 2024}} She then won bronze at the Argentina Open in September 2023 and competed at the Pan American Games, ultimately placing fifth after losing the bronze medal match.File:María Sara Grippoli on Desayunos Informales kicking right.jpg in 2024]]
Grippoli is coached by Uruguayan former taekwondo practitioner Mayko Votta, who competed at the 2007 Pan American Games.{{Cite news|url=https://www.elpais.com.uy/ovacion/multideportivo/batacazo-maria-sara-grippoli-se-clasifico-al-taekwondo-paris-2024-e-hizo-historia-en-el-deporte-uruguayo|newspaper=El País|date=9 April 2024|title=¡Batacazo! María Sara Grippoli se clasificó al taekwondo de París 2024 e hizo historia en el deporte uruguayo|language=Spanish|trans-title=Bump! María Sara Grippoli qualified for the Paris 2024 taekwondo and made history in Uruguayan sport}} In 2024, she won bronze medals at the Pan American Championships and at the Rio Open tournament. She also won gold at the 2024 Pan American Taekwondo Olympic Qualification Tournament, thus qualifying her for the 2024 Summer Olympics.{{Cite news|url=https://www.elobservador.com.uy/polideportivo/sara-grippoli-oro-taekwondo-argentina-y-corea-del-sur-preparar-los-juegos-olimpicos-paris-2024-n5943561|newspaper=El Observador|title=Sara Grippoli oro en taekwondo en Argentina y se va a Corea del Sur para preparar los Juegos Olímpicos|trans-title=Sara Grippoli won gold in taekwondo in Argentina and is going to South Korea to prepare for the Olympic Games|date=2 June 2024|language=Spanish}} She became the first Olympic taekwondo practitioner in Uruguayan history and was chosen her country's flag bearer at the opening ceremony.
Grippoli studies engineering at the Universidad de la Empresa on a scholarship.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grippoli, Maria Sara}}
Category:Uruguayan female martial artists
Category:Olympic competitors for Uruguay
Category:Taekwondo practitioners at the 2023 Pan American Games
Category:Uruguayan people of Italian descent
Category:Taekwondo practitioners at the 2024 Summer Olympics