Steven López born November 9, 1978 is a 2000 and 2004 Olympic gold medalist in taekwondo at the Olympic Games. López became the first official Olympic gold medalist at the 2000 Olympic Games. 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.
Born in Nicaragua, López's parents moved to New York City in 1972. In his native country, his father, Julio, worked for the government of the then-President 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. López first learned the sport of Taekwondo in his garage at the age of five from his father and Jean, his older brother. 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. 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.
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.
López has appeared in People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People
Career highlights
2009 World Taekwondo Championships (Welter): GOLD
2008 Beijing Olympic Games: BRONZE
2007 World Taekwondo Championships (Welter): GOLD
2007 Sr. National Team Trials (Welter): 1st
2005 U.S. Olympic Committee Male Athlete of the Month (April)
2005 World Taekwondo Championships (Welter): GOLD
2005 Sullivan Award Finalist
2004 Athens Olympic Games: GOLD
2004 US Olympic Team Trials: GOLD
2004 Sullivan Award Finalist
2003 World Taekwondo Championships: GOLD
2003 World Taekwondo Qualification Tournament: BRONZE
2003 Pan American Games: GOLD
2003 Sullivan Award Finalist
2002 World Cup Taekwondo Championships: BRONZE
2002 Pan American Games: GOLD
2001 World Taekwondo Championships: GOLD
2000 Sydney Olympic Games: GOLD
1999 Pan American Games: GOLD
1999 Pan American Regional Olympic Qualifier: SILVER
1998 World Cup Taekwondo Championships: BRONZE
1998 Pan American Taekwondo Championships: GOLD
1997 World Cup Taekwondo Championships: GOLD
1996 Pan American Taekwondo Championships: GOLD
1996 World Junior Taekwondo Championships: GOLD
1994 Pan American Taekwondo Championships: SILVER
1994 World Cup Taekwondo Championships: BRONZE
1993 Jr. Olympic: BRONZE