Maria Clara Pacheco

Maria Clara Pacheco (born 16 July 2003) is a Brazilian taekwondo practitioner. She was a gold medalist at the 2025 World Taekwondo Championships.

Early life She was born in São Vicente,

Career She won a bronze medal at the World Taekwondo Cadet Championships in Sharm-el-Sheikh in 2017.

2023 was her first season competing in senior taekwondo. She made her Grand Priz series debut that year in Paris where she reached the quarterfinals.

She won the bronze medal in the Women's featherweight at the 2023 World Taekwondo Championships in Baku, losing to eventual winner Luana Márton in the semi-final. In doing so, she became only Brazilian to have won medals in Taekwondo World Championships in both the senior and cadet levels. She also won a bronze in the team event at the games.

In April 2024, competing at the regional Olympic qualifying event in Dominican Republic, she won a place at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

In June 2025, Pacheco won the Gold medal at the 2025 Charlotte Taekwondo Grand Prix and claimed her first podium finish at the event. She competed in the women’s 57kg category and defeated Luo Zongshi of China in the final with a score of 2–0, without conceding a single point (17–0 and 12–0).

Pacheco won the gold medal in the -57kg category at the 2025 World University Games in Germany, recording a 2-0 victory over Chaima Toumi of Tunisia in the final. In October, she won the gold medal at the 2025 World Taekwondo Championships in China, where she defeated reigning Olympic champion Kim Yu-jin of Korea 2-0 in the final.

In 2025 Pacheco won both the trophies for best Brazilian taekwondo athlete of the year and for Brazilian female athlete of the year at that year's edition of the Prêmio Brasil Olímpico ( Brazil Olympic Prize).

Awards and Honors 2025 Prêmio Brasil Olímpico - taekwondo Prêmio Brasil Olímpico - Brazilian female athlete of the year