Steven Lopez

Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, 2008 Olympic Bronze Medalist and four-time World Champion

Olympic Weight Class: Welterweight
Height/Weight: 6'2"/170 lbs.
Born: November 9, 1978, in New York, N.Y.
Hometown: Sugar Land, Texas

Highlights: Steven Lopez is the most decorated athlete in taekwondo history … Lopez has won two consecutive Olympic gold medals (2000 and 2004) and an Olympic bronze medal (2008) for the United States of America and a record five consecutive World Championships (2001, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009). In September of 2007, he qualified himself for a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team after making the finals at the World Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Manchester, England. He made history with younger brother, Mark, and sister, Diana, at the 2005 World Championships when they all won gold, becoming the first family ever to have three siblings as World Champions in all of sports … Lopez also won the gold medal at the 1997 World Cup Taekwondo Championships and was the 1996 Junior World Taekwondo Champion.

Prior to his Olympic debut, he won the gold medal at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada, as well as the gold at the 1998 and 1996 Pan American Taekwondo Championships. In 1997, he captured the gold at the World Cup Taekwondo competition. In 1996, he was the Junior World Taekwondo Champion and was a member of the 1995 United States Pan American Games Taekwondo Team. Graduated in 1997 from Kempner High School in Sugar Land, Texas, where he was voted ‘Most Likely to Succeed.' In high school, he was a member of the National Honor Society and Senior National Honor Society. He was an Academic Scholar and lettered in academics. The person he most admires is his older brother, Jean, who also doubles as his coach. Steven and Jean have been on two U.S. National Taekwondo Teams together (1994 and 1996). In his spare time, Steven enjoys playing and watching sports and dancing to salsa and meringue music. When asked what participating in Taekwondo means to him, he responded: "To me it means that I can go out and compete and put myself on the line and show all that I have trained for." Likes being looked upon as a role model because it helps him become a better person. Believes self-motivation is the key to keeping yourself going to become the best that you can be. Success doesn't come just by chance, you have to work towards it every day.

Major Competition Record:
2009: World Championships GOLD
2008: Summer Olympics (Beijing) BRONZE
2007: Qualified for 2008 U. S. Olympic Team
2007: World Championships GOLD
2005: World Championships GOLD
2004: Summer Olympics (Athens) GOLD
2003: World Championships GOLD
2002: World Cup Championships BRONZE
2001: World Championships GOLD
2000: Summer Olympics (Sydney) GOLD
1999: Pan American Games GOLD
1998: National Intercollegiate Championships GOLD
1998: World Cup Championships BRONZE
1998: U.S. Open Championship GOLD
1997: World Cup Championships GOLD
1996: Pan American Championships GOLD
1996: World Junior Championships GOLD
1995: Pan American Games TEAM MEMBER
1995: U.S. Junior Olympic Championships GOLD
1993: U.S. Junior Olympic Championships SILVER