In 2024, Alizadeh received Bulgarian citizenship, enabling her to represent Bulgaria at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She won a bronze medal in taekwondo, further cementing her legacy as one of the sport’s most accomplished athletes and a trailblazer for women in combat sports. Kimia Alizadeh Zonouzi is far more than a decorated taekwondo champion. Over the course of her career, she has become a global symbol of courage, autonomy, and resistance, particularly for women navigating restrictive political and cultural systems.
Alizadeh’s rise in taekwondo was marked by technical precision, tactical intelligence, and mental toughness. Her early success at youth and junior levels laid the foundation for a seamless transition into senior international competition—something relatively rare in combat sports. When Alizadeh won bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics, the achievement went beyond sport.
