clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Team USA Taekwondo: Steven Lopez Looks To Reclaim Gold In London

Three-time Olympic medalist Steven Lopez looks to claim his third career gold in taekwando in the 2012 London Olympics.

DALLAS, TX - MAY 13:  Taekwondo athlete, Steven Lopez poses for a portrait during the 2012 Team USA Media Summit on May 13, 2012 in Dallas, Texas.  (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - MAY 13: Taekwondo athlete, Steven Lopez poses for a portrait during the 2012 Team USA Media Summit on May 13, 2012 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Steven Lopez has been the dominant force in taekwondo for over a decade, but the New York native wants one more crack at Olympic gold when he competes in the welterweight (80 kg) division in London.

Lopez is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, winning the featherweight division at Sydney in 2000 and the welterweight division at Athens 2004. Lopez looked to repeat at welterweight at Beijing in 2008, but he was upset in the quarterfinals by Italy's Mauro Sarmiento and settled for the bronze medal.

Lopez belongs to the first family of taekwondo in the United States, with brother Mark and sister Diana all earning medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Diana won the bronze in the 57 kg division, while brother Mark won the silver in the 68 kg division. Only Diana will be joining Steven in London, as Mark was defeated by Terrence Jennings in Olympic qualifying.

Lopez will be one of the heavy favorites to win the gold in London, when he competes on August 10. His main competitors for the gold will be Sarmiento and Iran's Yousef Karami, who won the 2011 World Taekwondo Championships.

Stick with SB Nation New York for information on Lopez and all the local athletes in the 2012 Olympic Games. For all your Olympic coverage needs check out SB Nation's Olympics hub.