Anastasija Zolotic

Anastasija Zolotic ( (born 23 November 2002) is an American taekwondo athlete and Olympic gold medalist. She won the silver medal at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in the girls 49 kg weight class. She qualified to represent the United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics. On Sunday 25 July 2021, at just 18-years-old, she became the first American woman to win Olympic gold in taekwondo, defeating Tatiana Minina of Russia 25 to 17. She competed in the women's featherweight event at the 2022 World Taekwondo Championships held in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Medal record Olympic Games

Personal life

Zolotic was born in the United States to parents who immigrated from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Her father practiced taekwondo in his youth and inspired her to take up the sport. She and her sister participated in after-school taekwondo programs from a young age, with Zolotic’s interest intensifying as she began to watch and then join competitive training sessions. She would eventually move to Colorado to train full-time at the Olympic Training Center, which significantly shaped her approach to the sport, emphasizing discipline, proper nutrition, and recovery.