 López visiting the East London School of Tae Kwon-do inLondon, 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | (1978-11-09)November 9, 1978 (age 47)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)[3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg)[3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Steven López (born November 9, 1978) is an Americantaekwondo competitor, a2000 and2004 Olympic gold medalist (in the -68 and -80 kg divisions, respectively) and a2008 Olympic bronze medalist (again in the -80 kg division) and 4thDan in taekwondo. In 2001, he won the LightweightTaekwondo World Championship, and in 2003 he won the WelterweightTaekwondo World Championship which he has since won in2005,2007 and2009 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 afterHadi 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]
López was born on November 9, 1978 inNew York City toNicaraguan parents. His parents, Julio and Ondina,immigrated fromNicaragua to theUnited States in 1973.[2] His father took odd jobs to support his family and they later moved toTexas.[6] His father encouraged López, his sister, and brothers to be intaekwondo. López first learned it in his garage at the age of five from his father and Jean, his older brother.[4] López is a 1997 graduate ofKempner High School inSugar Land, Texas next toHouston, where he was voted "most likely to succeed" and was a member of theNational Honor Society.
All of López's siblings,Mark,Diana andJean López (coach), are USA National Team Members in taekwondo.[1] His younger siblings, Mark and Diana, also represented the United States at the2008 Beijing Olympics, marking the first time since 1904 that three siblings have been on the same Olympic team. Both López and his siblings, Mark (men's featherweight) and Diana (women's featherweight), made sports history in April 2005 when they 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 inLondon in July 2012 at the Olympic Training Center inColorado Springs, Colorado.
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. He promptly accepted a three-month suspension and participated in an educational anti-doping program.[7] López has appeared inPeople magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People.[7] In 2012, he participated in a dating game showThe Choice onFox.[8]
López is aRoman Catholic who attends St. Theresa Catholic Church in Sugar Land, Texas, and says his faith has always been a very important part of his life.[9]
On June 8, 2017,USA Today published a news items saying that López had been accused of sexual assault and drugging of various female athletes.[10][11] The accusations claimed there was 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 enacted byUSA Taekwondo which effectively barred them from competing in international Taekwondo competitions.[12] Six women have come forward claiming to have been sexually assaulted by Lopez.[13]
In December 2022, theInternational 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 2011Code 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]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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