Steven López

For the American journalist, see Steve Lopez.
Steven López

Steven López (Right)
Personal information
Born (1978-11-09) November 9, 1978[1]
Nicaragua
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)[2]
Weight 185 lb (84 kg)[2]
Medal record
Men's Taekwondo
Representing  United States
Olympic Games
2000 Sydney – 68 kg
2004 Athens – 80 kg
2008 Beijing – 80 kg
World Championships
1996 Barcelona Lightweight
2001 Jeju Lightweight
2003 Garmisch Welterweight
2005 Madrid Welterweight
2007 Beijing Welterweight
2009 Copenhagen Welterweight
Pan American Games
1999 Winnipeg – 68 kg
2003 Santo Domingo – 80 kg
Pan American Taekwondo Championships
1996 – 68kg
1998 La Habana – 68kg
2002 Quito – 68kg

Steven López (born November 9, 1978) is a 2000 and 2004 Olympic Gold medalist and a 2008 Olympic Bronze medalist and 4th Dan in taekwondo. In 2001, he won the Lightweight Taekwondo World Championship, and in 2003 he won the Welterweight Taekwondo World Championship which he has since won in 2005, 2007 and 2009 making him the first Taekwondo fighter to win 5 World Championships.[3]

Biography

Born in Nicaragua, Lopez's parents moved to New York City in 1972. In his native country, his father, Julio, worked for the dictator Anastasio Somoza, who was overthrown in 1979 after the Sandinista Revolution. His father took odd jobs to support his family but later relocated to Texas.[4] López first learned the sport of Taekwondo in his garage at the age of five from his father and Jean, his older brother.[3] He is a 1997 graduate of Kempner High School in Sugar Land, Texas where he was voted "most likely to succeed" and was member of the National Honor Society.

López's siblings, Mark, Diana and Jean Lopez (coach) are all USA National Team Members in Taekwondo.[1] His younger siblings, Mark and Diana, also represented the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, marking the first time since 1904 that three siblings have been on the same Olympic team. Both López and siblings, Mark (men's featherweight) and Diana (women's featherweight), made sports history in April 2005 when they all claimed a world championship title at the same event (2005 World Taekwondo Championships) with their oldest brother, Jean, participating in the feat as their coach.[5] Steven Lopez and Diana Lopez both qualified for the 2012 Olympic games in London in July 2012 at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO.

On January 2006, López tested positive for a banned substance (L-methamphetamine) which he said came from an over-the-counter vapor inhaler he used. López promptly accepted a three-month suspension and participated in an educational anti-doping program.[5]

López has appeared in People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People.[5] In 2012, he participated in Fox's dating game show The Choice.[6]

López is a Roman Catholic who attends St. Theresa Catholic Church in Sugar Land, Texas and has said his faith has always been a very important part of his life.[7]

Career highlights

  • 2014 USA Open: GOLD
  • 2013 Argentina Open: GOLD
  • 2009 World Taekwondo Championships (Welter): GOLD
  • 2008 Beijing Olympic Games: BRONZE
  • 2007 World Taekwondo Championships (Welter): GOLD
  • 2007 Sr. National Team Trials (Welter): 1st
  • 2005 U.S. Olympic Committee Male Athlete of the Month (April)
  • 2005 World Taekwondo Championships (Welter): GOLD
  • 2005 Sullivan Award Finalist
  • 2004 Athens Olympic Games: GOLD
  • 2004 US Olympic Team Trials: GOLD
  • 2004 Sullivan Award Finalist
  • 2003 World Taekwondo Championships: GOLD
  • 2003 World Taekwondo Qualification Tournament: BRONZE
  • 2003 Pan American Games: GOLD
  • 2003 Sullivan Award Finalist
  • 2002 World Cup Taekwondo Championships: BRONZE
  • 2002 Pan American Games: GOLD
  • 2001 World Taekwondo Championships: GOLD
  • 2000 Sydney Olympic Games: GOLD
  • 1999 Pan American Games: GOLD
  • 1999 Pan American Regional Olympic Qualifier: GOLD
  • 1998 World Cup Taekwondo Championships: BRONZE
  • 1998 Pan American Taekwondo Championships: GOLD
  • 1997 World Cup Taekwondo Championships: GOLD
  • 1996 Pan American Taekwondo Championships: GOLD
  • 1996 World Junior Taekwondo Championships: GOLD
  • 1995 Pan American Taekwondo Championships: SILVER
  • 1994 World Cup Taekwondo Championships: BRONZE
  • 1993 Jr. Olympic: BRONZE

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 "Steven Lopez". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Steven Lopez". teamusa.org. United States Olympic Committee. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Steven López Prepares to Defend Gold Medal at 2004 Olympic Games in Athens". HispanicBusiness.com. Retrieved 2008-05-03.
  4. ↑ Times, Washington (2004-07-02). "Lopez and family get their kicks". Washington Times. Retrieved 2011-12-21.
  5. 1 2 3 "NBC Olympics profile". nbcolympics.com. Retrieved 2008-05-03.
  6. ↑ Hibberd, James (May 8, 2012). "Fox's 'The Choice' cast revealed! Joe Jonas, Dean Cain, The Situation, many more -- EXCLUSIVE". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
  7. ↑ Ramos, James (August 8, 2016). "Taekwondo fighter and immigrants' son fueled by faith at Olympics". Crux. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
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