Iranian refugee Kimia Alizadeh came within striking distance of winning the Refugee Olympic Team’s first ever medal after three impressive wins in the Tokyo Games’ taekwondo tournament on Sunday.
However, she lost her semi-final and the bronze-medal playoff to finish fourth.
Alizadeh beat Iranian opponent Nahid Kiyani Chandeh 18-9 in her opening bout in Tokyo. She then shocked two-time Olympic gold medalist Jade Jones in the round-of-16, beating the British champion 16-12.
She went on to defeat Zhou Lijun of China 9-8 in the quarterfinals, mounting a stirring final-minute rally for the second straight bout.
Alizadeh’s streak raised hopes that the Refugee Olympic Team could take home its first medal in history during the Tokyo games, however she lost her bronze medal bout to Turkey’s Hatice Kubra Ilgun.
Alizadeh had a narrow lead after the first round against Ilgun, but failed to score again until it was too late to catch up.
Twenty-three-year-old Alizadeh previously made history during the 2016 Rio Olympics, becoming the first Iranian woman to win an Olympic medal when she brought home a bronze.
She has since fled Iran for Germany and is competing for the refugee team, which is competing at its second Olympics.
Alizadeh’s biggest upset on Sunday came against Jones, who was attempting to become the first three-time taekwondo gold medalist and the first British woman in any sport to win gold at three consecutive Olympics.
She screamed and celebrated with her coach while the small crowd of Olympians and support personnel in the Makuhari Messe convention centre erupted with astonished roars at the victory.
