Thea LaFond
{{Short description|Dominica triple jumper (born 1994)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Thea LaFond
| image = Thea LaFond Glasgow 2024.jpg
| caption = LaFond after winning gold at the 2024 World Indoor Championships.
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1994|04|05}}
| birth_place = Roseau, Dominica
| sport = Athletics
| event = Triple jump
| height = 1.73 m
| weight = 63 kg
| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Women's athletics}}
{{MedalCountry|{{DMA}}}}
{{Medal|Olympic}}
{{MedalGold|2024 Paris|Triple jump}}
{{Medal|Competition|World Indoor Championships}}
{{Medal|Gold|2024 Glasgow|Triple jump}}
{{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}}
{{MedalSilver|2022 Birmingham|Triple jump}}
{{MedalBronze|2018 Gold Coast|Triple jump}}
{{MedalCompetition|Pan American Games}}
{{MedalBronze|2023 Santiago|Triple jump}}
}}
Thea Noeliva LaFond (born April 5, 1994) is a Dominican-American track and field athlete who competes in the triple jump. At the 2024 Summer Olympics, she won gold in the triple jump to claim the first-ever Olympic medal for Dominica. LaFond was also the 2024 World Indoor triple jump champion.
Biography
LaFond emigrated from Dominica to the United States as a young child.{{cite web | url=https://wtop.com/local-sports/2024/08/montgomery-co-woman-wins-dominicas-first-olympic-medal/ | title=Montgomery Co. Woman wins Dominica's first Olympic medal }}{{cite web | url=https://archiveofimmigrantvoices.omeka.net/items/show/10 | title=Interview of Thea LaFond | date=25 March 2015 }} During her childhood, she was a dancer (ballerina) where she learned to accept criticism and focus on technical changes to form and movement.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SpuNibA5-Q |title=Thea Lafond Wins Dominica's First Ever Gold Medal With 15.01m Triple Jump at World Indoor Champs |date=2024-03-03 |last=CITIUS MAG |access-date=2024-05-20 |via=YouTube}} She is a graduate of John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring, Maryland, where she later returned to be a special education teacher.{{cite web | url=https://www.mymcmedia.org/thea-lafond-takes-gold-in-womens-triple-jump/ | title=Silver Spring's Thea LaFond Takes Gold in Women's Triple Jump }}{{cite web | url=https://www.mymcmedia.org/former-mcps-teacher-thea-lafond-going-for-gold-at-paris-olympics/ | title=Former MCPS Teacher Thea LaFond Going for Gold at Paris Olympics | date=26 July 2024 }}
At the University of Maryland, LaFond was a multi-event athlete who competed in the heptathlon and indoor pentathlon and embraced the process of becoming a better athlete.
LaFond competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the women's triple jump; her result of 12.82 meters in the qualifying round did not qualify her for the final.{{cite web|title=Thea Lafond |url=https://www.rio2016.com/en/athlete/thea-lafond |website=Rio 2016 |accessdate=September 11, 2016 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160902044128/https://www.rio2016.com/en/athlete/thea-lafond |archivedate=September 2, 2016 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|title=Women's Triple Jump - Standings |url=https://www.rio2016.com/en/athletics-standings-at-womens-triple-jump |website=Rio 2016 |accessdate=September 11, 2016 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911231610/https://www.rio2016.com/en/athletics-standings-at-womens-triple-jump |archivedate=September 11, 2016 |url-status=dead }}
File:2019-09-01 ISTAF 2019 Triple jump (Martin Rulsch) 26.jpg]]
Competing at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, she made history, becoming the first Dominican athlete to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games after securing a bronze medal in the women's triple jump.{{Cite news|url=http://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/sports/breaking-news-thea-lafond-wins-bronze-for-dominica-at-commonwealth-games/|title=UPDATE: Thea Lafond wins bronze for Dominica at Commonwealth Games|work=Dominica News Online|access-date=10 April 2018|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|url=https://results.gc2018.com/en/athletics/event-schedule-women-s-triple-jump.htm|title=Athletics {{!}} Event Schedule Women's Triple Jump - Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games|website=results.gc2018.com|language=en-AU|access-date=10 April 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://results.gc2018.com/en/athletics/athlete-profile-n6007316-thea-lafond.htm|title=Athletics {{!}} Athlete Profile: Thea LAFOND - Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games|website=results.gc2018.com|language=en-AU|access-date=10 April 2018}}
She competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics, where she served as Dominica's flag bearer, alongside fellow track and field athlete Dennick Luke.{{Cite web|title=Athletics LAFOND Thea|url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/athletics/athlete-profile-n1425655-lafond-thea.htm|url-status=dead|access-date=2021-08-29|work=Tokyo 2020 Olympics|publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games|language=en-us|archive-date=18 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818052919/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/athletics/athlete-profile-n1425655-lafond-thea.htm}} During the 2022 Commonwealth Games, she improved her result and won a silver medal in the women's triple jump event.
On 3 March 2024, LaFond became the first person from Dominica to win a World Championship gold medal, after taking first place in women's triple jump at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships, setting a national record of 15.01 m.{{cite web |title=Thea Lafond reacts to making history in the triple jump |url=https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2313930819700 |website=cbc.ca |access-date=3 March 2024}}
File:Thea LaFond au Parc des Champions pendant les JO 2024 (4) (cropped).jpg]]
She won her country's first-ever Olympic medal when she took gold at the Paris Games, setting a new national record record of 15.02 metres in the process.{{cite web|url=https://worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/paris24/news/article/paris-2024-olympics-report-women-triple-jump|title=LaFond becomes Dominica's first Olympic medallist with triple jump gold in Paris|publisher=World Athletics|accessdate=4 August 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/sports/olympics/athletics-lafond-wins-triple-jump-gold-bring-dominica-first-ever-olympic-medal-2024-08-03/|title=LaFond wins triple jump gold to bring Dominica first ever Olympic medal|publisher=Reuters|accessdate=4 August 2024}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/08/03/thea-lafond-dominica-olympic-triple-jump-gold/|title=Thea LaFond makes Olympic history for Dominica, an island without a track|newspaper=The Washington Post|accessdate=4 August 2024}} Thereafter, she was rewarded by the government of Dominica with $400,000, appointment as a national sports ambassador, a diplomatic passport, as well as a {{Convert|7,459|sqft|m2|adj=on}} parcel of land in the village of Warner, Saint Paul Parish. A track and field facility would also be built and named in her honour, and she would be granted the Dominica Award of Honour during independence day celebrations in early November.{{Cite web |last=Wong |first=Melissa |date=2024-08-26 |title=Dominica rewards Olympic gold medallist Thea LaFond-Gadson |url=https://caribbean.loopnews.com/content/dominica-rewards-olympic-gold-medallist-thea-lafond-gadson |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=Loop News |language=en}}
Personal life
LaFond is married to Aaron Gadson, who is also her coach.{{cite web | url=https://wtop.com/local-sports/2024/08/montgomery-co-woman-wins-dominicas-first-olympic-medal/ | title=Montgomery Co. Woman wins Dominica's first Olympic medal }} They live in Maryland. She is Catholic.{{Cite web |title=Olympic triple jumper asks God: 'How did this happen?' |url=https://www.ncronline.org/olympic-triple-jumper-asks-god-how-did-happen,%20https://www.ncronline.org/olympic-triple-jumper-asks-god-how-did-happen |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=National Catholic Reporter |language=en}}
LaFond has a brother, Chreign, who plays defensive end for the Navy Midshipmen.{{Cite web |title=Chreign LaFond - Football |url=https://navysports.com/sports/football/roster/chreign-lafond/26457 |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=Naval Academy Athletics |language=en}}
International competitions
| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes}} | |
| colspan="6"|Representing {{DMA}} | |
|---|---|
| rowspan=2|2011
|rowspan=2|World Youth Championships |rowspan=2|Lille, France |15th (q) |High jump |1.62 m | |
| 13th (q)
|Triple jump | 12.15 m |
| rowspan=1|2012
|rowspan=1|World Junior Championships |rowspan=1|Barcelona, Spain |19th (q) |Triple jump | |
| rowspan=2|2014
|rowspan=2|Commonwealth Games |rowspan=2|Glasgow, United Kingdom |11th (q) |High jump | |
| 11th
|Triple jump | 12.64 m |
| rowspan=4|2015
|rowspan=2|Pan American Games |rowspan=2|Toronto, Canada |13th |High jump | |
| 12th
|Triple jump | 13.35 m |
| rowspan=2|NACAC Championships
|rowspan=2|San José, Costa Rica |6th |High jump | |
| 6th
|Triple jump | 13.60 m |
| rowspan=1|2016
|rowspan=1|Olympic Games |rowspan=1|Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |37th (q) |Triple jump | |
| rowspan=1|2017
|rowspan=1|World Championships |rowspan=1|London, United Kingdom |19th (q) |Triple jump | |
| rowspan=3|2018
|rowspan=1|World Indoor Championships |Birmingham, United Kingdom |17th |Triple jump | |
| Commonwealth Games
|Gold Coast, Australia |bgcolor=cc9966|3rd |Triple jump | |
| |NACAC Championships
|Toronto, Canada |bgcolor=cc9966|3rd |Triple jump | |
| rowspan=2|2019
|rowspan=1|Pan American Games |Lima, Peru |8th |Triple jump | |
| World Championships
|Doha, Qatar |N/A |Triple jump |{{AthAbbr|DNS}} | |
| rowspan=1|2021
|rowspan=1|Olympic Games |rowspan=1|Tokyo, Japan |12th |Triple jump | |
| rowspan=4|2022
|Belgrade, Serbia |4th |Triple jump | |
| World Championships
|Eugene, United States |5th |Triple jump | |
| |Commonwealth Games
|Birmingham, United Kingdom |bgcolor=silver|2nd |Triple jump | |
| |NACAC Championships
|Freeport, Bahamas |bgcolor=gold|1st |Triple jump | |
| rowspan=2|2023
|Budapest, Hungary |5th |Triple jump | |
| Pan American Games
|Santiago, Chile |bgcolor=cc9966|3rd |Triple jump | |
| rowspan=2|2024
|Glasgow, United Kingdom |bgcolor=gold|1st |Triple jump | |
| Olympic Games
|Paris, France |bgcolor=gold|1st |Triple jump | |
| 2025
| Nanjing, China | 4th | Triple jump | 14.18 m |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{World Athletics}}
- {{Olympics.com profile|thea-lafond}}
- {{SR/Olympics profile|la/thea-lafond-1}}
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVa46swNHnE Lafond revels in historic gold for Dominica! She is Dominica's 1st global athletics gold medallist. The Zone invite Thea Lafond, Dominican triple jumper to discuss her historic gold medal performance at the World Indoor Championships.] March 6, 2024
{{Footer Olympic Champions Triple Jump Women}}
{{Footer World Indoor Champions Triple Jump Women}}{{Footer WBYP Triple Women}}{{Authority control}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-sports|oly}}
{{succession box
| before = Yordanys Durañona
| title = Flag bearer for {{DMA}}
| years = Tokyo 2020
Paris 2024
with
Dennick Luke
| after = Incumbent
}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:LaFond, Thea}}
Category:Dominica triple jumpers
Category:Dominica female athletes
Category:Olympic athletes for Dominica
Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Dominica
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2018 Commonwealth Games
Category:University of Maryland, College Park alumni
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2019 Pan American Games
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2015 Pan American Games
Category:Medallists at the 2018 Commonwealth Games
Category:Maryland Terrapins women's track and field athletes
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2024 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic gold medalists for Dominica
Category:Medalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field)
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2023 Pan American Games
Category:Pan American Games bronze medalists for Dominica