1. Kimia Alizadeh Zonouzi is an Iranian-born Bulgarian taekwondo athlete, representing Bulgaria.
18 Facts About Kimia Alizadeh
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Kimia Alizadeh won a gold medal in the women's 63-kg class at the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games.
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Kimia Alizadeh beat London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016 gold medallist Jade Jones at the 2015 World Championship to win a bronze medal.
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Kimia Alizadeh won a silver medal two years later at the 2017 World Taekwondo Championships.
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In January 2020, Kimia Alizadeh announced that she was leaving Iran permanently for Europe.
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Kimia Alizadeh won bronze at the 2022 European Taekwondo Championships while representing the Refugee Team.
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Kimia Alizadeh's father is from Zonuz near Tabriz and her mother is from Ardabil.
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Kimia Alizadeh's victory made her the first Iranian woman to win a medal at a Summer Olympics.
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Kimia Alizadeh won a gold medal in the women's 63-kg class at the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympics.
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Kimia Alizadeh beat London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016 gold medallist Jade Jones at the 2015 World Championship to win a bronze medal.
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Kimia Alizadeh won a silver medal two years later at the 2017 World Taekwondo Championships.
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Kimia Alizadeh was listed in 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2019 by BBC.
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In 2022, Kimia Alizadeh won bronze at the 2022 European Taekwondo Championships while representing the Refugee Team.
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In March 2024, the Bulgaria Taekwondo Federation announced that Kimia Alizadeh would represent Bulgaria at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
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At the Paris Olympics, Kimia Alizadeh became Bulgaria's first-ever taekwondo athlete at the Olympics and won bronze.
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On 10 January 2020, Kimia Alizadeh announced she was defecting and leaving her birth country, with searing criticism of the regime of Iran.
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Kimia Alizadeh did not compete for Iran in the 2020 Summer Olympics, and considered competing for Germany, but ultimately competed on the refugee team.
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Kimia Alizadeh has expressed her love for her country and country women many times; however, her issue is with the rulers.