Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith has long been recognized as one of Africa’s most enduring sprinters. Her reputation has been built not only on medals and records but on her ability to withstand setbacks that would have ended the careers of many. At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, she reached the final of the women’s 100 meters despite carrying an injury during what she described as her most difficult year. For the third consecutive Olympics, she stood among the best in the world, a reminder of both her consistency and her resilience. 

“I would say I’m blessed because, whether I win a medal or not, people keep sending me positive messages that keep me going, and I really appreciate it,” she explained after another near-podium finish. “Seeing messages like, ‘Oh, you are a true inspiration…we look up to you because you do not give up,’ motivates me.” Ta Lou-Smith’s story is much larger than any one race. She has been a fixture in the finals of global championships for nearly a decade, all while balancing personal milestones and professional demands. 

Who is Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith?

Marie Josée Ta Lou-Smith was born on November 18, 1988, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. She competes in the 100 meters and 200 meters, where she has earned recognition as one of the fastest women in history. She is a two-time World Championships medalist and the African record holder in both sprint events. Her progression in athletics began after she initially leaned toward associate football, a sport she played enthusiastically in her neighborhood of Koumassi, a suburb of Abidjan.

Her shift to sprinting in 2008 was not straightforward. Encouraged by her older brother, she began competing locally and trained under Florence Olonade, the Ivory Coast’s 1988 national champion in the 100 meters. The first sign of her potential came in a trial when she ran a barefoot 200 meters and still defeated Olonade’s trained athletes. By September 2007, she had secured her first national title in the 100 meters with a time of 12.9 seconds. That same year, she earned a bronze medal with the Ivorian 4×100 meter relay team at the West African Championships in Cotonou.

The following year confirmed her potential. In 2008, she captured both the 100 meters and 200 meters at the Ivorian National Championships, a double victory she repeated in 2009. At the West African Championships later that year, she placed seventh in the 200 meters despite facing a headwind, an early lesson in the demands of elite competition.

Where is she from and what is her nationality?

Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith was born and raised in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and holds Ivorian nationality. Every step of her international career has been in the colors of Ivory Coast. She remains one of the most visible athletes from West Africa in global sport, carrying her nation’s identity on the track.

Who is her husband?

On November 18, 2023, Ta Lou married her fiance, Javi Smith. Their wedding was marked with the hashtag #weddingoftheyear, a reflection of the celebration shared widely by their community. She refers to him as her “Caribbean King,” on her Instagram posts, signaling both affection and the cultural bond they share.

What are Ta Lou-Smith’s career highlights?

Ta Lou-Smith’s first breakthrough came at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. She finished fourth in both the 100 meters and 200 meters, narrowly missing the podium but setting five personal bests during the Games. At the 2017 World Championships in London, she advanced further, claiming silver in the 100 meters, her first global medal. Two years later, at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, she added a bronze in the same event.

Marie-Josée Ta Lou Smith’s Olympic career continued with strong results in Tokyo 2020, where she placed fourth in the 100 meters and fifth in the 200 meters. Indoors, she won a silver medal in the 60 meters at the 2018 World Indoor Championships in Birmingham. Continental competition has also showcased her strength. At the 2015 African Games, she secured gold in both the 100 meters and 200 meters. She later repeated her success at the African Athletics Championships, winning the 200 meters in 2016 and 2018, and adding the 100 meters in 2018. She again claimed gold in the 100 meters at the 2019 African Games.

Her personal best in the 100 meters, 10.72 seconds, ranks her as the eighth-fastest woman ever and the fastest African woman in history. She also holds the Ivorian record in the 200 meters and the African record in the 150 meters. These benchmarks place her among the most accomplished sprinters of her generation. She also qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics and placed 8th in the 100m and opted out of the 200m due to an injury.

 What is Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith’s ethnicity and religion?

Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith is of Ivorian and West African ethnicity. She has spoken openly about the responsibility she feels as one of the continent’s leading female athletes. “I know that sometimes I finish fourth and don’t make the podium, but I keep showing up,” she said. “The legacy I leave behind is what motivates me, along with my love for the sport and inspiring others not to give up.”

She frequently uses her platform to encourage young African athletes. “Even if someone say, ‘you will not make it!’, just show them that you can make it because life is not about always giving up. It’s about working hard, sacrifice, and making yourself available to push your body to achieve your dreams.”

While her religious affiliation is with Christianity as per her Instagram profile, her statements emphasize discipline, perseverance, and faith in personal effort. Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith is a firm believer. During an interview with Olympics.com in September 2024, she spoke about the role of faith in mental health. She spoke about her awareness of issues of mental health having been broadened only when she herself went through such a phase, “‘OK, I’m a Christian, I speak to God’. But this year I think I need to speak to a therapist, when I hear people talk about mental health, I say, ‘I am a Christian, I speak to God’. Even my spiritual dad, he told me I need to speak to someone as I am going through a lot.”

From her barefoot trial races in Abidjan to multiple World Championship medals and Olympic finals, she has constructed one of the most distinguished records in African sprinting. Beyond medals, her presence has been a constant reminder of the values she champions: persistence, sacrifice, and representation for her nation and her continent.

As she continues to compete at the highest levels, Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith remains more than a sprinter. She is a figure of resilience whose influence extends well beyond the track, embodying the spirit of endurance for both Ivory Coast and the broader African sporting community.