PARIS, France, (Aug. 11, 2024) - Can a relatively unknown 18-year-old player seize an Olympic medal in her debut at the greatest show on earth? Ask Viviana Marton of Hungary. 

 

When she stood in front of Aleksandra Perisic in the finals of the W-67kg category in Paris’ Grand Palais on Aug. 9 she was undaunted by the Serbian’s Grand Prix gold medal and world title.

 

“I was confident in myself that if I do what I have to do, I could win the gold,” she said. “And it did not matter which competitor it was.” 

 

As Round 1 got underway, both fighters fought side-on to dominate the center of the FOP, with neither giving an inch. The Hungarian opened the scoring with a high kick that arced around the Serb’s guard for a three-point lead. Fighting actively and ambidextrously, she extended her lead and ended the round, 7-1.

 

Round 2: First blood went to Perisic with an up-close body kick - soon equaled by the Hungarian: 2-2. Marton landed again to the torso, meaning Perisic had to go all out. She forced Marton back as the seconds counted down, but the Hungarian held a tight defense to win the round.

 

Round, match, gold.

 

Despite her student’s youthfulness, her coach was not surprised at the feat.

 

“She is a pit bull, she is tough - she can beat anyone,” said her coach, Suvi Mikkonen. “When we were getting ready for Olympic qualification, we were talking to [Irish international] Jack Woolley, and he said, ‘She is not the favorite in the draw - she is the one the favorites do not want to fight.”

 

Clearly, however, the intense, tightly sprung Hungarian fighting machine has a fun side, too.  

 

Having won gold, Marton got down and bust a series of dance moves on the FOP, and blowing kisses into the crowd.

 

“It was an amazing feeling when I heard the final buzzer,” she said. “A very good feeling.”

 

Those good vibes had been evident earlier on the big day.

 

“When I saw her come out with a smile on her face, I knew she was going to do something incredible,” said Mikkonen. “One difference between her and some others is she is able to enjoy the competition – she was loving the crowd, loving being in the spotlight.”

 

Olympic gold makes Marton one of the premier fighters in the game. Looking forward, that means she will be a high-value target for ambitious competitors once the post-Paris fighting circuit gets underway.

 

She is not fazed.

 

“If they want to beat me – try!” she said. “It is normal that people want to compete with the best. I like this. It is the competitive life.”

 

That competitive life extends to her family. Her twin sister, Luana, is also a Taekwondo athlete: The two both started the sport at age seven.

 

“My sister and me are training together every day, we motivate each other to achieve our goals,” Morten said.

 

It’s a competitive relationship.

 

“They fight very hard together: One day one wins, the next day the other wins,” said Mikkonen. “Their biggest asset is that there are two of them.” 

 

Fortunately, they do not play in the same category: Luana fights in the W-57kg, and is World Champion.

 

Asked about her relationship with her twin, Luana was unable to respond: She had been screaming her support for Viviana so loudly, she had lost her voice. 

 

The Marton sisters have a wider family at Hankuk International School in Madrid, Spain, where they live and train under Mikkonen and Head Coach Jesus Ramal.

 

“Hankuk International School is one of the best clubs in the world,” Marton said. “I am good because I am there!”

 

The “Golden Twins” have also been signed up as salaried professionals by Team Ute, a Hungarian sports brand that includes football and athletics in its portfolio.

 

“They decided to sign Luana and Vivian – Luana was already the World Champion – and the dream was the Olympics,” Mikkonen said. “When they signed the contract that did not know if they would make this Olympics, but said would support them to 2028 which is when they were supposed to win!”

 

Marton, however, had been thinking 2024, not 2028. “I don’t want to lose time,” she said.

 

Even though she will soon be experiencing an entirely new combat environment - the elite Grand Prix series – she is already thinking four years ahead.

 

“I started thinking about LA 2028 this morning,” Marton admitted that day after her win at the Grand Palais. “I was always thinking the first was Paris. Now - Los Angeles!”

 

“Right now her Taekwondo journey is just starting,” Mikkonen added. “The sky is the limit.”