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Steven López

Steven López

López in 2011
Personal information
Born	(1978-11-09) November 9, 1978 (age 45)[1] New York City, New York, U.S.[2]
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)[3]
Weight	185 lb (84 kg)[3]
Medal record Men's Taekwondo Representing  United States Olympic Games 2000 Sydney – 68 kg 2004 Athens – 80 kg 2008 Beijing – 80 kg World Championships 2001 Jeju Lightweight 2003 Garmisch Welterweight 2005 Madrid Welterweight 2007 Beijing Welterweight 2009 Copenhagen Welterweight World Junior Championships 1996 Barcelona Lightweight Grand Prix 2014 Astana Welterweight 2015 Moscow Welterweight Pan American Games 1999 Winnipeg – 68 kg 2003 Santo Domingo – 80 kg 2015 Toronto – 80 kg Pan American Championships 1994 Heredia – 54kg 1996 Havana – 63kg 1998 Lima – 63kg

Steven López (born November 9, 1978) is an American taekwondo competitor, a 2000 and 2004 Olympic gold medalist (in the -68 and -80 kg divisions, respectively) and a 2008 Olympic bronze medalist (again in the -80 kg division) 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. With 2 Olympic titles, 5 titles in taekwondo world championships and 1 title in taekwondo world cup he is the most titled champion after Hadi Saei who earns 9 world class titles (two Olympic titles in 2004 and 2008, two world championships titles, four world cup titles and one world Olympic qualification tournament).^[4][5]

Biography[edit]

López was born on November 9, 1978, in New York City to Nicaraguans parents. His parents, Julio and Ondina, immigrated from Nicaragua to the United States in 1973.^[2] His father took odd jobs to support his family but later relocated to Texas.^[6] López first learned the sport of Taekwondo in his garage at the age of five from his father and Jean, his older brother.^[4] He is a 1997 graduate of Kempner High SchoolinSugar 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 López (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.^[7] 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.

In 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.^[7]

López has appeared in People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People.^[7] In 2012, he participated in Fox's dating game show The Choice.^[8]

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.^[9]

Allegations of sexual misconduct and sexual assault[edit]

On June 8, 2017, USA Today published a news items stating that López had been accused of sexual assault and drugging of various female athletes.^[10][11] The accusations presented a repeated pattern of behavior of abuse allegedly perpetrated by López and his brother, Jean Lopez. López and his brother both received a preliminary suspension in place enacted by USA Taekwondo which effectively barred them from competing in international Taekwondo competitions.^[12] A total of six women have come forward claiming to have been sexually assaulted by Lopez.^[13]

In December 2022, the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) lifted the lifetime ban for sexual abuse against Steven Lopez, his brother and his coach.^[14][15] The CAS found that the charge by the Taekwondo World Federation was based on its 2011 Code of Ethics. However, since the incidents the brothers are accused of allegedly took place before 2011, the code should not have been used, according to CAS.^[16]

Career highlights[edit]

See also[edit]

• List of athletes with the most appearances at Olympic Games

Footnotes[edit]

External links[edit]

• US Olympic Team profile at the Wayback Machine (archived November 21, 2008)
• USA Taekwondo profile
• The Road to Beijing 2008
• Interactive 3D Taekwondo training program, featuring López
• Steven López at TaekwondoData.com (athlete profile)
• Steven López at TaekwondoData.com (coach profile)
• Steven LópezatOlympics.com
• Steven LópezatOlympedia