Steven López

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). [3][4][4]

For the American journalist, see Steve Lopez.
Steven López
López in 2011
Personal information
Born (1978-11-09) November 9, 1978[1]
Nicaragua
Height6 ft 3 in (191 cm)[2]
Weight185 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
2001 JejuLightweight
2003 GarmischWelterweight
2005 MadridWelterweight
2007 BeijingWelterweight
2009 CopenhagenWelterweight
World Junior Championships
1996 BarcelonaLightweight
Grand Prix
2014 AstanaWelterweight
2015 MoscowWelterweight
Pan American Games
1999 Winnipeg – 68 kg
2003 Santo Domingo – 80 kg
2015 Toronto – 80 kg
Pan American Championships
1994 Heredia– 54kg
1996 Havanna– 63kg
1998 Lima– 63kg
López (right) with his 2000 Olympics gold medal

Biography

Born in Nicaragua, Lopez moved with his parents to New York City in 1982.[5] 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.[6] López first learned the sport of Taekwondo in his garage at the age of five from his father and Jean, his older brother.[7] 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.[8] 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.[8]

López has appeared in People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People.[8] In 2012, he participated in Fox's dating game show The Choice.[9]

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.[10]

Sexual misconduct allegations

Both López and his older brother Jean have been investigated by SafeSport regarding allegations of sexual misconduct. In April 2018, Jean was issued a lifetime ban from all World Taekwondo events due to his investigation.[11] Steven López was banned in September 2018.[12]

On April 25, 2018, the Houston Chronicle reported both brothers are the subject of separate lawsuits filed in Colorado of sexual misconduct involving two female taekwondo athletes. Amber Means Randall says in her lawsuit that López assaulted and harassed her from the time she was 17 years old, and that López engaged in sexual activities with under-age athletes at various international tournaments. The lawsuit also alleges that López raped Randall while she was unconscious at a friend's party in 2008.[11]

Lopez's suspension by SafeSport was overturned in arbitration in December 2018;[13] however, because of the ban by World Taekwondo, López was ineligible for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.[14][15]

Career highlights

Footnotes
  1. "Steven Lopez". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  2. "Steven Lopez". teamusa.org. United States Olympic Committee. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  3. name="HB">"Steven López Prepares to Defend Gold Medal at 2004 Olympic Games in Athens". HispanicBusiness.com. Retrieved 2008-05-03.
  4. "TaekwondoData". TaekwondoData.
  5. "Steven Lopez". Team USA. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
  6. Times, Washington (2004-07-02). "Lopez and family get their kicks". Washington Times. Retrieved 2011-12-21.
  7. "Steven López Prepares to Defend Gold Medal at 2004 Olympic Games in Athens". HispanicBusiness.com. Retrieved 2008-05-03.
  8. "NBC Olympics profile". nbcolympics.com. Retrieved 2008-05-03.
  9. 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.
  10. Ramos, James (August 8, 2016). "Taekwondo fighter and immigrants' son fueled by faith at Olympics". Crux. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  11. Barron, David (April 26, 2018). "Lawsuits accuse Lopez brothers of sexual misconduct". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  12. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports//2018/09/07/steven-lopez-olympic-taekwondo-champion-banned-safesport/1235794002/
  13. Armour, Rachel Axon and Nancy. "Arbitrator overturns taekwondo star Steven Lopez's permanent ban handed out by SafeSport". USA TODAY.
  14. Starr, Alexandra (February 16, 2020). "These Women Are Fighting to Expose Olympic Taekwondo Legends as Predators" – via www.thedailybeast.com.
  15. Axon, Nancy Armour and Rachel. "Report: Sixth woman says she was sexually abused by Olympic taekwondo champ Steven Lopez". USA TODAY.
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