Leon Sejranovic

Biography

Leon Sejranovic, a Victorian native from Carlton, has made waves in the international taekwondo community with his performance at the 2023 World Taekwondo Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. His bronze medal in the -74kg division ended a 25-year drought for Australian men in the sport and marked a significant achievement for his country. Leon’s journey to the semi-finals was marked by victories over top-ranked competitors like Spain’s Daniel Quesada Barrera and Uzbekistan’s Jasurbek Jaysunov, though his run ended in a match against Croatia's Marko Golubic, the eventual gold medalist.

Growing up in Melbourne, Leon took up taekwondo shortly after he learned to walk, receiving early coaching from 2008 Olympian Ryan Carneli at the Maribyrnong Sports Academy. His early career was decorated with national junior titles and a gold medal at the 2018 Oceania Championships. In 2019, Leon transitioned to senior competition, capturing gold at the Oceania Championships, the Pacific Games, and the Croatian Open. His successes earned him a scholarship from the Victorian Institute of Sport and entry into the National Performance Centre for Taekwondo at the Combat Institute of Australia.

Despite a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic when he was ranked sixth in the world, Leon returned to form in 2022, advancing to the round of 16 at the world championships and winning gold at both the Oceania Championships and the Tahiti Open. His momentum continued into 2023 with a bronze at the world championships and a gold medal at the Korean Open.

Balancing his athletic career with academics, Leon is pursuing a degree in sport and exercise science at Victoria University. Recently, he was honored with a tier 2 scholarship in the 2024 Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship and Mentoring Program.