_26.jpg) Thea LaFond in 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 5 April 1994 Roseau, Dominica | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 63 kg (139 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event | Triple jump | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Thea Noeliva LaFond (born April 5, 1994) is a triple jumper from Dominica.
As a child, Thea Lafond was a dancer (ballerina) where she learned to accept criticism and focus on technical changes to form and movement.[1]
At the University of Maryland, Thea was a multi-event athlete who competed in the heptathlon and indoor pentathlon and embraced the process of becoming a better athlete.
Thea 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.[2][3] She was also selected to represent Dominica at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.[4]
During the 2018 Commonwealth Games, she created history for becoming the first Dominican athlete to win a medal for Dominica at the Commonwealth Games after securing a bronze medal in the women's triple jump event.[5][6]
She competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[7]
During the 2022 Commonwealth Games, she improved her result and won a silver medal in the women's triple jump event.
Thea LaFond became the first person from Dominica to win a World Athletics championship gold medal on 3 March 2024 at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in the women's triple jump with a national record at 15.01 meters.[8]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  Dominica
| |||||
| 2011 | World Youth Championships | Lille, France | 15th (q) | High jump | 1.62 m |
| 13th (q) | Triple jump | 12.15 m | |||
| 2012 | World Junior Championships | Barcelona, Spain | 11th (q) | Triple jump | 12.66 m |
| 2014 | Commonwealth Games | Glasgow, United Kingdom | 5th (q) | High jump | 1.81 m[9] |
| 11th | Triple jump | 12.64 m | |||
| 2015 | Pan American Games | Toronto, Canada | 13th | High jump | 1.80 m |
| 12th | Triple jump | 13.35 m | |||
| NACAC Championships | San José, Costa Rica | 6th | High jump | 1.76 m | |
| 2016 | Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 18th (q) | Triple jump | 12.82 m |
| 2017 | World Championships | London, United Kingdom | 11th (q) | Triple jump | 13.82 m |
| 2018 | World Indoor Championships | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 17th | Triple jump | 13.68 m |
| Commonwealth Games | Gold Coast, Australia | 3rd | Triple jump | 13.92 m | |
| NACAC Championships | Toronto, Canada | 3rd | Triple jump | 13.74 m | |
| 2019 | Pan American Games | Lima, Peru | 8th | Triple jump | 13.70 m |
| World Championships | Doha, Qatar | N/A | Triple jump | DNS | |
| 2021 | Olympic Games | Tokyo, Japan | 12th | Triple jump | 12.57 m |
| 2022 | World Indoor Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | 4th | Triple jump | 14.53 m |
| World Championships | Eugene, United States | 5th | Triple jump | 14.56 m | |
| Commonwealth Games | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 2nd | Triple jump | 14.56 m | |
| 2023 | World Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 5th | Triple jump | 14.90 m |
| 2024 | World Indoor Championships | Glasgow, United Kingdom | 1st | Triple jump | 15.01 m PB NR |
