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Pauline Lopez

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Pauline Lopez
Lopez in 2024
Personal information
Full namePauline Louise Lopez
Born (1996-08-17) 17 August 1996 (age 28)
Sport
CountryPhilippines
SportTaekwondo
Medal record
Women's taekwondo
Representing  Philippines
Southeast Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2015 Singapore 57 kg
Gold medal – first place 2019 Manila 57 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Naypyidaw 53 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Kuala Lumpur 62 kg
Asian Games
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Jakarta 57 kg
Asian Taekwondo Championships
Gold medal – first place 2016 Pasay 57 kg
Asian Youth Games
Gold medal – first place 2013 Nanjing 55 kg

Pauline Louise Lopez (born 17 August 1996)[1] is a Filipino taekwondo practitioner. She is a two-time gold medalist at the Southeast Asian Games and a bronze medalist at the Asian Games.

Early Life

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Lopez was born on August 17, 1996 in Los Angeles, California.[2] She began practicing taekwondo at age seven, as her father Efren Lopez Sr. was part of the national team of the martial art back in the late ’80s.[3] She was inspired to take up the sport after being told she couldn't because she was a girl. Her father initially opposed her taekwondo participation due to gender stereotypes[4] and the physical nature of the sport. Lopez's talent caught her father’s notice after her initial two years in the sport.[5] He pushed his daughter until she made the national team in the Philippines in 2010.[6][7]

At age 13,[3] Lopez moved to the Philippines from California to pursue her taekwondo dreams, making the sacrifice of being away from her family. From the age of 14, her grandmother played a key role in her training, accompanying her daily to practice via LRT.[8]

Career

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Lopez competed in the women's 46 kg event at the 2010 Asian Games held in Guangzhou, China,[9] making her the youngest among Filipino delegates to the multi-sport continental event.[3] She was eliminated in her second match by Dana Haidar of Jordan.[9] The following year, she competed in the women's finweight event at the 2011 World Taekwondo Championships held in Gyeongju, South Korea where she was eliminated in her first match.

In 2013, Lopez competed in the women's bantamweight event at the 2013 World Taekwondo Championships held in Puebla, Mexico. She won her first match against Yeny Contreras of Chile and also her next match against Ivett Gonda of Hungary but she was then eliminated from the competition by Janike Lai of Norway. A month later, she won the gold medal in the girls' 55 kg event at the 2013 Asian Youth Games held in Nanjing, China. In the final she defeated Fariza Aldangorova of Kazakhstan. In the women's 57 kg event at the 2014 Asian Games held in Incheon, South Korea she was eliminated in her first match by Wang Yun of China.

In 2015, Lopez competed in the women's bantamweight event at the World Taekwondo Championships held in Chelyabinsk, Russia where she was eliminated in her second match by Indra Craen of Belgium.[10]

In 2016, Lopez failed to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics after losing her match against Phannapa Harnsujin of Thailand at the 2016 Asian Taekwondo Olympic Qualification Tournament held at the Marriot Convention Center Grand Ballroom in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines.[11][12] A few days later, she did win the gold medal in the women's 57 kg event at the 2016 Asian Taekwondo Championships held in the same location.[13]

Lopez won one of the bronze medals in the women's 57 kg event at the 2018 Asian Games held in Jakarta, Indonesia.[1][14] In 2019, she won the gold medal in the women's 57 kg event at the Southeast Asian Games held in the Philippines,[11][15] marking a significant comeback from an eight-month losing streak from April to November 2019.[8]

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lopez had put her college studies on hold for two years to concentrate on her training and competitions. She resumed her studies online during the COVID-19 lockdown. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Lopez adapted her training regimen to online sessions with her coaches, demonstrating her commitment to maintaining her skills and fitness despite the challenging circumstances. She also participated in the Philippine Taekwondo Association's online speed-kicking competition, emerging as the first women's senior champion."[16]

In 2021, Lopez competed at the Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament held in Amman, Jordan hoping to qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. She won her first match and she was then eliminated in her second match by Laetitia Aoun of Lebanon.

Coaching and Advocacy

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Following her competitive career, Lopez has transitioned into coaching young taekwondo athletes. She focuses on making the sport more inclusive and accessible, particularly for young girls.[8] In 2023, Lopez founded Shero Taekwondo, a martial arts school that offers scholarships to students from underprivileged backgrounds, reflecting her commitment to making the sport accessible to all.

In addition to her work at Shero Taekwondo, Lopez conducts sparring seminars throughout the Philippines. She also actively participates in and organizes taekwondo events, such as the MAPATA Taekwondo Championship, which she hosted at Amoranto Stadium in Quezon City on January 2024.[17]


References

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  1. ^ a b "Taekwondo Results Book" (PDF). 2018 Asian Games. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 June 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  2. ^ "Pauline Lopez on IMDB". IMDB. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Salen, Laurd (1 February 2024). "Champion to Coach: Taekwondo Superstar Pauline Lopez Reveals Why She Left the Dojang". MEGA Asia. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  4. ^ Reyes, Kate (8 March 2020). "Defying gender boundaries is Pauline Lopez's most prized victory". Spin. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  5. ^ "UAAP Season 79 First Semester Rookie Roundup: Pauline Lopez". The Guidon. 17 January 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  6. ^ "Exclusive interview with Pauline Lopez, 2019 SEA Games Taekwondo". Philippine Daily Inquirer. 11 December 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  7. ^ TKD Star Cast Episode 5 Pauline Lopez Full (YouTube). 2019-12-03. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
  8. ^ a b c Limos, Mario Alvaro (19 May 2025). "Pauline Lopez: Defeated Again and Again—Until She Wasn't". All-Star. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  9. ^ a b "Women's 46 kg – Bracket". 2010 Asian Games – MasTKD. Archived from the original on 17 August 2020. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  10. ^ "Results Book" (PDF). 2015 World Taekwondo Championships. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  11. ^ a b Palmer, Dan (7 January 2020). "Lopez eyes Olympic taekwondo redemption at Asian Qualification Tournament". InsideTheGames.biz. Archived from the original on 14 May 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  12. ^ "After falling short, jin Pauline Lopez more motivated than ever to pursue Olympic dream". spin.ph. 17 April 2016. Archived from the original on 9 June 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  13. ^ "Day 3 Results" (PDF). 2016 Asian Taekwondo Championships. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 June 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  14. ^ "China claims first taekwondo gold at Asiad". China.org.cn. 21 August 2018. Archived from the original on 9 June 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  15. ^ Ganglani, Naveen (16 February 2020). "Tokyo 2020: Who's Olympic taekwondo hopeful Pauline Lopez?". Rappler. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  16. ^ "Taekwondo: For Pauline Lopez, name of the game is flexibility as she eyes Olympics". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  17. ^ "Taekwondo champ Pauline Lopez ready to pass on her knowledge in martial arts". GMA News. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
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