Moorosi Tsiane
TAEKWONDO star Michelle Tau continued to fly the country’s flag high after winning gold in the Wattwil Open 2019 in Switzerland last Saturday.
Tau, who came second at the African Games in Morocco in August 2019, said she has been impressed by her performance since returning to the Taekwondo Competence Centre in Friedrichshafen, Germany early this year.
Since August this year, the multitalented Tau has won two gold medals in different competitions and says she is proud of her performance.
“Since the African Games there is now more pressure than before,” Tau said.
“I have participated in two tournaments after the African Games and got gold in each outing. These are performances that I am proud of and I know a lot more still needs to be done.”
The 2017 Face of Lesotho beauty queen said she needs to practice more for growth.
“Although I am happy, I am not yet where I want to be. I still need more practice and to grow. Experience is very important, so I have been using my past mistakes to improve.”
Ranked fourth in Africa, Tau said although she missed out on her target of winning the World Championship this year, she is happy that she came close and is inspired to do more.
“I so badly wanted to win the World Championship in May this year but it was my first time participating at that stage and I failed. My next target was a gold medal in the African Games but unfortunately, I came second. However, I am happy because it shows how close I am to where I want to be and that is surely an inspiration,” Tau said.
She said now she has shifted her focus to the Olympic qualifiers and is aiming to be the first Mosotho to win an Olympic medal.
“My focus is now on qualifying for the 2020 Olympics and represent Lesotho in Tokyo. I pray that God makes what seems impossible possible. Maybe I can become the first Mosotho to win an Olympic medal. I want to become an Olympic medalist in 2020,” she said.
Tau said she was grateful to her family for its support including financially.
“The support from my family has been good because my mother is the one who is paying for my stay here in Germany because I haven’t received any financial help from the Lesotho National Olympic Committee (LNOC),” Tau said.