Charlotte Afriat: Monaco’s Olympic Sprinter
Early Life and Background
Born on October 17, 2002, in Nice, France, Charlotte Afriat is a 22-year-old Monegasque track and field athlete who has represented Monaco in sprinting events on the world stage. A member of AS Monaco Athletics Club, Charlotte began competing at the age of twelve and has steadily progressed to become one of Monaco’s most prominent athletes in sprint disciplines.
Athletic Heritage
Athletics runs deep in Charlotte’s family. Her mother, Virginie Gollino, represented Monaco in the 100m hurdles at the 1997 World Championships in Athens, Greece. However, Charlotte’s path to athletics was not immediately influenced by her mother. In fact, Virginie initially tried to dissuade her daughter from pursuing athletics, not wanting to influence her decision. Charlotte explored many different sports before discovering her passion for sprinting. Once her mother shared her own athletic experiences, Charlotte became inspired to pursue the same path, understanding the powerful emotions that come with competing at international championships. Her mother remains a crucial role model and is the only person who truly understands what Charlotte experiences when she steps onto the track at major competitions.
Physical Profile
Charlotte stands 163 centimeters (approximately 5’4″) tall and weighs 60 kilograms. She competes primarily in the 50m, 60m, 100m, and 200m sprint events.
Track and Field Accomplishments
National Records
Charlotte holds multiple Monegasque national records in sprint events:
- 50 meters (indoor): 6.72 seconds (set December 22, 2017, in Nice, France)
- 60 meters (indoor): 7.85 seconds (set December 8, 2019, in Miramas, France)
- 100 meters (outdoor): 12.27 seconds, also the Monaco U-20 national record (set June 13, 2021)
- 200 meters (indoor): 26.34 seconds (set January 12, 2020, in Miramas, France)
Major International Competitions
2018 Summer Youth Olympics (Buenos Aires, Argentina) Charlotte served as the flag bearer for Monaco during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics, a tremendous honor at just 15 years old. Competing in the girls’ 100 meters, she finished sixth in her first heat with a time of 13 seconds, then improved to 12.44 seconds in her second heat—just three-hundredths of a second off her personal record at the time. In the accumulated format used for the Youth Olympics, she finished 24th out of 42 competitors.
2018 Mediterranean Games (Tarragona, Spain) Charlotte represented Monaco at the Mediterranean Games, finishing 11th in the women’s 100 meters event.
2019 World Athletics Championships (Doha, Qatar) Making her debut at the senior World Championships at age 16, Charlotte competed in the women’s 100 meters but did not advance to the semi-finals.
2019 Games of the Small States of Europe (Budva, Montenegro) Charlotte competed in the women’s 100 meters, finishing eighth out of eight competitors.
2020 Summer Olympics (Tokyo 2021) Charlotte’s crowning achievement came when she qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics (held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). At just 18 years old, she was one of only six Monegasque athletes in the delegation and the sole track and field athlete to represent Monaco at the Games. She clocked an excellent time of 12.35 seconds in her heat, finishing fifth—within striking distance of her personal best of 12.27 seconds. Her coach, Frédéric Choquard, praised her performance: “Charlotte has proved herself. She had already shown that she was capable of managing high-level competitions with a lot of pressure. At 18, not everyone can do that. It is a pleasure to coach her and to be at her side, she is always smiling and dynamic.”
Charlotte was overwhelmed with emotion when she received the news of her Olympic qualification while training in Spain. “I was super excited and happy to hear this piece of news,” she recalled. “I jumped for joy being over the moon.” She noted that earlier in the year she had dealt with injuries and was busy with pre-academic studies, making the qualification somewhat unexpected despite her hard work.
His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco attended the Olympics to support the Monegasque delegation, which Charlotte found tremendously meaningful. “The presence of the Sovereign Prince was decisive in sustaining our moral. He was always ready to remind us not to give up. Moreover, he acted also as the representative of our Country. For me, it was therefore like running in front of the whole Principality. I felt reassured by His attendance since He used to be an Olympic athlete as well, so He understands what it means being there.”
2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships Charlotte competed in the 60 meters event, finishing last in heat 5 with a time of 8.06 seconds.
2023 European Indoor Championships She competed in the women’s 60m event, finishing eighth in heat 3.
2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships (Glasgow, Scotland) After undergoing appendix surgery that forced her to take time away from the sport, Charlotte made her return to competition at the 2024 World Indoor Championships. This comeback demonstrated her resilience and determination to continue competing at the highest level.
2024 Paris Olympics Despite her efforts to qualify for the Paris Olympics, Charlotte did not meet the qualifying standards.
Games of the Small States of Europe
Charlotte has represented Monaco at multiple editions of the Games of the Small States of Europe, an important multi-sport event for Europe’s smaller nations.
Education and Career Aspirations
Charlotte has successfully balanced her athletic career with her academic pursuits. According to her LinkedIn profile, she has been a student in CPGE (Classes Préparatoires aux Grandes Écoles) in Nice, which are intensive preparatory classes for entrance to France’s elite universities. She has expressed interest in studying speech therapy (orthophonie) and attending medical school in Nice. Additionally, Charlotte has indicated aspirations to integrate into a top business school while maintaining her status as a high-level athlete.
Her ability to manage both rigorous academic studies and international-level athletic training demonstrates remarkable discipline and time management. In her interview before the Tokyo Olympics, she mentioned how busy she was with “the course of pre-academic studies” while recovering from injury, highlighting the dual demands on her time and energy.
Personal Interests and Training Philosophy
Charlotte is a multi-talented individual with diverse interests beyond athletics. She is an accomplished musician who plays the cello, piano, and guitar, and she loves singing. This musical background provides a creative outlet and balance to the intensity of competitive sprinting.
Her athletic role models include British world champion sprinter Dina Asher-Smith and the legendary Jamaican sprinter and world record holder Usain Bolt, both of whom inspire her approach to the sport.
Charlotte maintains a rigorous training schedule, typically working out every day of the week with one rest day. She usually trains in the late afternoon or evening to accommodate her academic commitments. Her training focuses on pure sprint work and endurance, with emphasis on muscle strengthening and physical conditioning. She works with both a personal trainer specialized in athletics and a fitness coach.
Charlotte has been under the guidance of coach Frédéric Choquard, who has been instrumental in her development. Looking ahead to her transition to the U-23 category, her medium-term goal is to break the 12-second barrier in the 100 meters—a significant milestone that would represent a substantial improvement on her personal best.
When asked what she appreciates most about athletics, Charlotte has emphasized her love for competition, the pursuit of excellence, and the unique emotions that come with representing her country on the international stage. Her personality is described as consistently positive—she is “always smiling and dynamic,” according to her coach.
Recognition and Impact
Charlotte has been recognized as one of Monaco’s young prodigies in track and field sports. She was featured in Forbes Monaco’s “30 Under 30” list, highlighting her as a young talent making an impact in athletics while representing Monaco in official competition.
Her achievements have helped raise the profile of Monaco athletics on the international stage, particularly as a representative of one of Europe’s smallest nations competing against much larger countries with vastly greater athletic programs and resources.
Current Status and Future Prospects
At 22 years old, Charlotte continues to train and compete while pursuing her academic goals. Despite setbacks including appendix surgery and missing qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics, she has demonstrated the resilience and determination necessary for high-level athletics.
Her journey from a 12-year-old beginner to an Olympic athlete representing Monaco on the world’s biggest stage is a testament to her dedication, her family’s support (particularly her mother’s unique understanding of the athletic journey), and her coaches’ guidance. As she continues to develop both as an athlete and as a student pursuing higher education, Charlotte Afriat remains an inspiring figure in Monegasque sports, carrying forward her mother’s athletic legacy while forging her own path in international sprint competitions.
With her combination of athletic talent, academic ambition, musical abilities, and positive personality, Charlotte represents the modern student-athlete who excels in multiple domains while proudly representing her nation on the world stage.
Go Charlotte!
