Thea Noeliva LaFond (born April 5, 1994) is a Dominican-American track and field athlete who competes in the triple jump. At the 2024 Summer Olympics, she won gold in the triple jump to claim the first-ever Olympic medal for Dominica. LaFond was also the 2024 World Indoor triple jump champion.
Biography LaFond emigrated from Dominica to the United States as a young child. During her childhood, she was a dancer (ballerina). She is a graduate of John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring, Maryland, where she later returned to be a special education teacher. At the University of Maryland, LaFond was a multi-event athlete who competed in the heptathlon and indoor pentathlon.
LaFond competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the women's triple jump; her result of 12.82 meters in the qualifying round did not qualify her for the final.
Competing at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, she made history, becoming the first Dominican athlete to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games after securing a bronze medal in the women's triple jump. She competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics, where she served as Dominica's flag bearer, alongside fellow track and field athlete Dennick Luke. During the 2022 Commonwealth Games, she improved her result and won a silver medal in the women's triple jump event. In 2026, she won the gold medal in the women's triple jump at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the first-ever Commonwealth Games gold medal for Dominica.
On 3 March 2024, LaFond became the first person from Dominica to win a World Championship gold medal, after taking first place in women's triple jump at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships, setting a national record of 15.01 m.
She won her country's first-ever Olympic medal when she took gold at the Paris Games, setting a new national record record of 15.02 metres in the process. Thereafter, she was rewarded by the government of Dominica with $400,000, appointment as a national sports ambassador, a diplomatic passport, as well as a parcel of land in the village of Warner, Saint Paul Parish. A track and field facility would also be built and named in her honour, and she would be granted the Dominica Award of Honour during independence day celebrations in early November.
Personal life LaFond is married to Aaron Gadson, who is also her coach. They live in Maryland. She is Catholic.
LaFond has a brother, Chreign, who plays defensive end for the Navy Midshipmen.
International competitions Representing 2011World Youth ChampionshipsLille, France15th (q)High jump1.62 m13th (q)Triple jump12.15 m2012World Junior ChampionshipsBarcelona, Spain19th (q)Triple jump12.66 m2014Commonwealth GamesGlasgow, United Kingdom11th (q)High jump1.81 mNo mark in the final11thTriple jump12.64 m2015Pan American GamesToronto, Canada13thHigh jump1.80 m12thTriple jump13.35 mNACAC ChampionshipsSan José, Costa Rica6thHigh jump1.76 m6thTriple jump13.60 m2016Olympic GamesRio de Janeiro, Brazil37th (q)Triple jump12.82 m2017World ChampionshipsLondon, United Kingdom19th (q)Triple jump13.82 m2018World Indoor ChampionshipsBirmingham, United Kingdom17thTriple jump13.68 mCommonwealth GamesGold Coast, Australia3rdTriple jump13.92 mNACAC ChampionshipsToronto, Canada3rdTriple jump13.74 m2019Pan American GamesLima, Peru8thTriple jump13.70 mWorld ChampionshipsDoha, QatarN/ATriple jump2021Olympic GamesTokyo, Japan12thTriple jump12.57 m2022World Indoor ChampionshipsBelgrade, Serbia4thTriple jump14.53 mWorld ChampionshipsEugene, United States5thTriple jump14.56 mCommonwealth GamesBirmingham, United Kingdom2ndTriple jump14.56 mNACAC ChampionshipsFreeport, Bahamas1stTriple jump14.49 m2023World ChampionshipsBudapest, Hungary5thTriple jump14.90 mPan American GamesSantiago, Chile3rdTriple jump14.25 m 2024World Indoor ChampionshipsGlasgow, United Kingdom 1stTriple jump15.01 mOlympic GamesParis, France1stTriple jump15.02 m PB NR2025World Indoor Championships Nanjing, China 4th Triple jump14.18 mWorld ChampionshipsTokyo, Japan2ndTriple jump14.89 m2026World Indoor ChampionshipsToruń, Poland5thTriple jump14.38 mCommonwealth GamesGlasgow, United Kingdom1stTriple jump14.60 mWorld Ultimate ChampionshipBudapest, Hungary4thTriple jump14.47 m
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Lafond revels in historic gold for Dominica! She is Dominica's 1st global athletics gold medallist. The Zone invite Thea Lafond, Dominican triple jumper to discuss her historic gold medal performance at the World Indoor Championships. March 6, 2024