By: Mpho Shelile
The Lesotho National Olympic Committee is delighted to announce that Michelle TAU, our talented athlete, has qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the women’s under 49kg category of Taekwondo. Michelle achieved this remarkable feat by winning the African qualifying tournament held in Dakar, Senegal over the weekend of 10-11 February 2024. We are immensely proud of Michelle’s accomplishment and wish her all the best for the upcoming games.The Lesotho National Olympic Committee is proud to celebrate with our athlete, Michelle Tau on qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the women’s under 49kg category of Taekwondo.
Michelle’s accomplishments have filled us with immense pride, particularly given the long and winding path we have traversed together to reach this stage. In 2022, the LNOC identified Michelle’s exceptional potential and invested heavily in her, granting her the status of an Olympic Scholarship athlete.
Our investment in her training has amounted to over M700,000 thus far, enabling her to train at various locations including Germany, Belgium, Ivory Coast, and most recently at the prestigious Taekwondo Tortosa-Arata Training Centre in Madrid, Spain. Michelle’s training has been extensive and rigorous, covering all aspects of Taekwondo, including physical fitness, technique, and strategy.
She has worked with some of the best coaches in the world, and her training has tested her both physically and mentally. Despite the challenges, Michelle has persevered and has made exceptional progress in her skills and abilities. We have every confidence that Michelle will continue to thrive and excel in her taekwondo career, and we are proud to have played a part in her journey to success.
LNOC also gratefully recognises the significant investments made by a growing number of sponsors both locally and internationally that have enabled her to reach this level and we will continue to support Michelle as she prepares for the biggest sporting stage on the planet.
Michelle is the second Lesotho athlete to qualify for Paris 2024, following after marathon runner Tebello RAMAKONGOANA who qualified through world rankings. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will be held from 26 July – 11 August 2024.
“I am officially Qualified for Paris Olympics 2024, after a tough competition yesterday in Dakar, Senegal but I won all my fights and qualified for the Olympics. Thanks to God. Thank you to Mchezo, my family,my Mom, my coach, Lady M and everyone who contributed in the preparation process, it is because of each and everyone of you that this dream became a reality. Thank you LNDC, LCA, Alliance and Adeaz,” said Michelle.