Milica Mandić
Olympic champion nine years apart, in London and Tokyo
- Born
- December 6, 1991, Belgrade, Serbia (then Yugoslavia)
- Nationality
Serbia- Height
- 180 cm (5′11″)
- Style
- Big-final heavyweight
- Weight
- +67 kg, 73 kg
- Active
- 2008–2021
- Status
- Retired · age 34
The medals
2 Olympic golds; 2017 world title
The story
ilica Mandić from Belgrade won world bronze at 73 kg in 2011, then moved up to heavyweight for London 2012. There she beat defending champion María Espinoza in the quarter-final, routed Russia's Anastasia Baryshnikova 11-3 in the semi-final and upset top seed Anne-Caroline Graffe 9-7 in the final, winning independent Serbia's first Olympic gold. Rio brought a quarter-final loss to Bianca Walkden, but she won the 2017 world 73 kg title by beating Korea's Oh Hye-ri 17-13. Nine years after London, a late rally beat Lee Da-bin 10-7 for gold in Tokyo, making her the only former champion to win back an Olympic taekwondo title there and Serbia's first two-time Olympic champion. She retired after Tokyo.
- Olympic champion, +67 kg (2012, 2020)
- World champion, 73 kg (2017)
- Serbia's flag bearer at the London 2012 closing ceremony
- Taekwondo Hall of Fame (2013)
Defining matches
- 2012WINvs María Espinoza (London Olympic +67 kg quarter-final, 6-4)
- 2012WINvs Anne-Caroline Graffe (London Olympic +67 kg final, 9-7)
- 2016LOSSvs Bianca Walkden (Rio Olympic +67 kg quarter-final, 0-5)
- 2017WINvs Oh Hye-ri (World Championships 73 kg final, Muju, 17-13)
- 2021WINvs Lee Da-bin (Tokyo Olympic +67 kg final, 10-7)
Train for the comeback: Mandić won Tokyo with a last-minute rally, so run sparring rounds that start from a points deficit. Keep throwing your best, cleanest kicks when behind instead of rushing wild ones.
1997–2008
