Natália Falavigna

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Natália Falavigna

| image = Natalia Falavigna.jpg

| image_size = 250px

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|9 May 1984}}

| birth_place = Maringá, PR, Brazil

| headercolor = lightsteelblue

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | {{BRA}} }}

{{MedalBronze |{{GamesName|SOG|2008|Taekwondo}}|+67 kg}}

}}

Natália Falavigna da Silva (born 9 May 1984{{cite web |title=Natália Falavigna |url=http://agendaesportiva.terra.com.br/olimpiadas/2008/atletas/ficha/atleta_10960.html |access-date=20 August 2008 |publisher=Terra |language=pt}} in MaringáGuia do Pan – XV Jogos Pan-Americanos. Rio de Janeiro: Lance!, 2007{{cite web |title=Natália Falavigna |url=http://olimpiadas.uol.com.br/2008/atletas-brasileiros/taekwondo/natalia-falavigna.jhtm |access-date=20 August 2008 |publisher=UOL |language=pt}}) 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 26 August, and won the bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. It was the first Brazilian Olympic medal ever in taekwondo.{{cite web |title=Falavigna: 'Não poderia sair dos Jogos sem medalha' |url=http://www.gazetaesportiva.net/ge_noticias/bin/noticia.php?chid=121&nwid=46739 |access-date=23 August 2008 |date=23 August 2008 |publisher=Gazeta Esportiva |language=pt}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}

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.{{cite web |title=Natália Falavigna |url=http://esporte.uol.com.br/olimpiadas/brasileiros/taekwondo/falavigna.jhtm |access-date=20 June 2012 |publisher=UOL |language=pt}} 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.{{cite web |url=http://revistaepoca.globo.com/Revista/Epoca/0,,EMI11538-15228-2,00-OLIMPO+CORDEROSA.html |date=29 August 2008 |access-date=20 June 2012 |title=Olimpo cor-de-rosa |work=Época |language=pt |author1=Marcelo Zorzanelli |author2=Flavio Machado |author3=Isabel Clemente |archive-date=28 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120628062148/http://revistaepoca.globo.com/Revista/Epoca/0,,EMI11538-15228-2,00-OLIMPO+CORDEROSA.html |url-status=dead }} 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.

Achievements

Natália Falavigna won the following competitions:

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,{{cite web |title=VII Prêmio Brasil Olímpico |url=http://www.cob.org.br/site/eventos_cob/eventos_cob_interna.asp?cod=54 |access-date=18 July 2007 |publisher=Brazilian Olympic Committee |language=pt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927034028/http://www.cob.org.br/site/eventos_cob/eventos_cob_interna.asp?cod=54 |archive-date=27 September 2007 |url-status=dead}} and also won the 2002,{{cite web |title=IV Prêmio Brasil Olímpico |url=http://www.cob.org.br/site/eventos_cob/eventos_cob_interna.asp?cod=25 |access-date=18 July 2007 |publisher=Brazilian Olympic Committee |language=pt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927033839/http://www.cob.org.br/site/eventos_cob/eventos_cob_interna.asp?cod=25 |archive-date=27 September 2007 |url-status=dead}} 2003,{{cite web |title=V Prêmio Brasil Olímpico |url=http://www.cob.org.br/site/eventos_cob/eventos_cob_interna.asp?cod=37 |access-date=18 July 2007 |publisher=Brazilian Olympic Committee |language=pt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927034113/http://www.cob.org.br/site/eventos_cob/eventos_cob_interna.asp?cod=37 |archive-date=27 September 2007 |url-status=dead }} 2004,{{cite web |title=VI Prêmio Brasil Olímpico |url=http://www.cob.org.br/site/eventos_cob/eventos_cob_interna.asp?cod=51 |access-date=18 July 2007 |publisher=Brazilian Olympic Committee |language=pt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927033855/http://www.cob.org.br/site/eventos_cob/eventos_cob_interna.asp?cod=51 |archive-date=27 September 2007 |url-status=dead }} 2005, 2006,{{cite web |title=VIII Prêmio Brasil Olímpico |url=http://www.cob.org.br/site/eventos_cob/eventos_cob_interna.asp?cod=57 |access-date=18 July 2007 |publisher=Brazilian Olympic Committee |language=pt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927033924/http://www.cob.org.br/site/eventos_cob/eventos_cob_interna.asp?cod=57 |archive-date=27 September 2007 |url-status=dead }} 2008,{{cite web |title=Veja a lista dos vencedores do Prêmio Brasil Olímpico por esporte |url=http://esporte.uol.com.br/ultimas/2008/11/24/ult58u1270.jhtm |access-date=24 November 2008 |date=24 November 2008 |publisher=UOL |language=pt}} and 2009 Best Taekwondo Athlete.{{cite web |title=COB anuncia nesta segunda-feira (21) os melhores atletas de 2009 |url=http://www.timebrasil.com.br/noticias/noticias_interna.asp?id=15095 |access-date=3 June 2011 |date=20 December 2009 |publisher=Brazilian Olympic Committee |language=pt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324231326/http://www.timebrasil.com.br/noticias/noticias_interna.asp?id=15095 |archive-date=24 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}

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.{{cite web |title=3rd World Junior Taekwondo Championships |url=http://www.wtf.org/comp/w_winners/winner.htm?w_part=1&w_sub_part=2&num=18 |access-date=20 August 2008 |publisher=World Taekwondo Federation}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}} It was the first international tournament that she participated in.

=[[2001 World Taekwondo Championships|2001 World Taekwondo Championship]]=

In 2001, in the World Taekwondo Championship held in Jeju, South Korea, Natália Falavigna won the bronze medal.{{cite web |title=Taekwondo World Championships Women: -63 kg |url=http://sports123.com/tae/ww-63.html |access-date=20 August 2008 |publisher=Sport123 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410210127/http://sports123.com/tae/ww-63.html |archive-date=10 April 2008 |url-status=dead }}

=[[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.{{cite web |title=Falavigna cai na disputa do bronze diante de venezuelana |url=http://esporte.uol.com.br/olimpiadas/ultimas/2004/08/29/ult2272u24.jhtm |access-date=18 July 2007 |date=29 August 2004 |publisher=UOL |language=pt}}

=[[2005 World Taekwondo Championships|2005 World Taekwondo Championship]]=

In 2005, in Madrid, Spain, Natália Falavigna defeated British Sarah Stevenson in the final, and won the World Taekwondo Championship.{{cite web |title=Brasileira vence mundial de Taekwondo |url=http://www.jornaltribuna.com.br/esportes.php?id_materia=2664 |access-date=18 July 2007 |date=15 April 2005 |publisher=Tribuna Catarinense |language=pt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927034849/http://www.jornaltribuna.com.br/esportes.php?id_materia=2664 |archive-date=27 September 2007 |url-status=dead }}

=[[2007 World Taekwondo Championships|2007 World Taekwondo Championship]]=

Falavigna won the bronze medal in the 2007 World Taekwondo Championship held in Beijing, China.{{cite web |title=Algumas notícias retiradas do site da WTF sobre o Mundial de Taekwondo na China |url=http://www.taekwondo.com.br/index.php?l=not&acao=noticias¬icia_id_02=44 |access-date=20 August 2008 |date=23 May 2007 |publisher=Taekwondo.com.br |language=pt}}

=[[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.{{cite web |title=Cerimônia de abertura para ficar na história |url=http://www.gazetaesportiva.net/ge_noticias/bin/noticia.php?chid=121&nwid=39695 |access-date=18 July 2007 |date=13 July 2007 |publisher=Gazeta Esportiva |language=pt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927010925/http://www.gazetaesportiva.net/ge_noticias/bin/noticia.php?chid=121&nwid=39695 |archive-date=27 September 2007 |url-status=dead }}

She won the silver medal at the women's +67-kilogram category. Falavigna defeated Venezuelan Aura Paez in the semifinals,{{cite web |title=Schedule and Results by Sport – Taekwondo |url=http://www.rio2007.org.br/data/pages/8CA3C78413B9BA990113BA54AD401F6D.htm |access-date=18 July 2007 |publisher=2007 Pan American Games official website |language=pt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070812120148/http://www.rio2007.org.br/data/pages/8CA3C78413B9BA990113BA54AD401F6D.htm |archive-date=12 August 2007 |url-status=dead }} but was defeated by Mexican María del Rosario Espinoza in the gold medal match.{{cite web |title=Natália Falavigna perde na final e fica com a prata no taekwondo |url=http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/esporte/ult92u312684.shtml |access-date=18 July 2007 |date=17 July 2007 |publisher=Folha Online |language=pt}}

=[[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.{{cite web |title=Esperança no taekowndo, Natália Falavigna vence e vai às quartas |url=http://olimpiadas.uol.com.br/ultimas/2008/08/22/ult5584u5153.jhtm |access-date=23 August 2008 |date=22 August 2008 |publisher=UOL |language=pt}} In the quarterfinals, Natália Falavigna beat the Australian Carmen Marton 5–2,{{cite web |title=Natália Falavigna vence a segunda e vai à semifinal no taekwondo |url=http://olimpiadas.uol.com.br/ultimas/2008/08/23/ult5584u5168.jhtm |access-date=23 August 2008 |date=23 August 2008 |publisher=UOL |language=pt}} but she was defeated by Nina Solheim of Norway in the semifinals.{{cite web |title=Natália Falavigna perde de norueguesa, mas luta pelo bronze no taekwondo |url=http://olimpiadas.uol.com.br/ultimas/2008/08/23/ult5584u5175.jhtm |access-date=23 August 2008 |date=23 August 2008 |publisher=UOL |language=pt}} Falavigna won the bronze medal after beating the Swedish Karolina Kedzierska 5–2 in the bronze medal match of the Repechage.{{cite web |title=Natália Falavigna é bronze no taekwondo |url=http://oglobo.globo.com/esportes/mat/2008/08/23/natalia_falavigna_bronze_no_taekwondo-547907216.asp |access-date=23 August 2008 |date=23 August 2008 |publisher=Globo Online |language=pt}} Natália Falavigna's bronze medal was Brazil's first Olympic medal ever in taekwondo.

=[[2009 World Taekwondo Championships|2009 World Taekwondo Championship]]=

In 2009, in the World Taekwondo Championship held in Copenhagen, Denmark, Natália Falavigna won the bronze medal.{{cite web |title=Taekwondo World Championships Women: -63 kg |url=http://www.wtf.org/bbs/bbs/download.php?bbs_code=10008&bbs_cate=1&filename=Official_Report_-_2009_WTF_World_Taekwondo_Championships_Copenhagen_(teams).pdf |access-date=20 August 2008 |publisher=World Taekwondo Federation}}