1. Early Life and Career Beginnings
Tijana Bogdanović was born on May 5, 1998, in Kruševac, Serbia. Her journey in taekwondo began at a very young age, starting her training at four years old. By 2004, she was actively competing, demonstrating early dedication to the sport. Alongside her athletic pursuits, Bogdanović also pursued higher education, studying psychology at Singidunum University.
Her talent was recognized early, leading to her selection for the Serbian youth national team in 2010. In the same year, she secured a bronze medal at the Croatian Youth Open held in Zagreb, Croatia. In June 2014, at the age of 16, Bogdanović made her debut as a senior national team member, competing in her first senior international tournament, the Swiss Open in Lausanne, Switzerland, where she earned a silver medal, finishing behind Indra Craen of Belgium. Later that year, in August, she participated in the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China, competing in the women's 49 kg event, where she finished in fifth place after a defeat to Tatyana Kudashova of Russia. In September 2014, she continued her success by winning another silver medal at the European U-21 Championships in Innsbruck, Austria, once again finishing behind Craen.
2. Senior Career Highlights
Bogdanović's senior career is marked by consistent performances and medal wins across major international taekwondo competitions, including the World and European Championships, as well as the Olympic Games and other prestigious events.
2.1. Major Championships
Bogdanović began her significant impact on the senior circuit in 2015. In May, she made her debut at the World Taekwondo Championships in Chelyabinsk, Russia. In the women's flyweight category, she earned a bronze medal, sharing the podium with Svetlana Igumenova of Russia, and finishing behind Ha Min-ah of South Korea and Wu Jingyu of China.
In May 2016, at the 2016 European Taekwondo Championships in Montreux, Switzerland, Bogdanović achieved a significant milestone by winning a gold medal, defeating Ana Petrusic of Slovenia in the final. Two years later, at the 2018 European Taekwondo Championships in Kazan, she secured a bronze medal, although she was unable to defend her title from 2016.
Her participation in the World Taekwondo Championships continued in subsequent years. At the 2017 World Taekwondo Championships, she reached the quarter-finals in the women's bantamweight event. In the 2019 World Taekwondo Championships, she advanced to the round of 32 in the women's bantamweight category. Most recently, she earned another bronze medal in the women's bantamweight event at the 2022 World Taekwondo Championships held in Guadalajara, Mexico.
2.2. Olympic Games
Bogdanović made her Olympic debut at the age of 18 at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Competing in the women's 49 kg category, she displayed exceptional skill, defeating Fatimat Abakarova of Azerbaijan, Wu Jingyu of China, and Itzel Manjarrez of Mexico to reach the final. In the gold medal match, she was defeated by Kim So-hui of South Korea, earning a silver medal. Following her impressive performance, she was chosen as the flagbearer for Serbia during the closing ceremony.
She continued her Olympic success at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where she competed in the women's 49 kg category and secured a bronze medal, adding to her Olympic medal tally.
2.3. Other International Competitions
Beyond the major championships and Olympic Games, Bogdanović has also achieved notable results in other international tournaments. In June 2015, she participated in the 2015 European Games held in Baku, Azerbaijan, where she won a silver medal in the women's 48 kg event, losing to Charlie Maddock of England in the final. In 2019, she claimed a gold medal at the 2019 World Taekwondo Grand Prix, defeating Wu Jingyu of China.
3. Awards and Recognition
Tijana Bogdanović has received several prestigious awards and recognitions for her outstanding achievements in taekwondo. In 2015, she was honored as the Best Young Athlete of Serbia. Following her silver medal win at the 2016 Rio Olympics, the Olympic Committee of Serbia recognized her as the Sportswoman of the Year in 2016.
4. Personal Life
Tijana Bogdanović currently resides in Belgrade, the capital city of Serbia.