Zolotic Earns US Its First Gold In Women’s Taekwondo
Jul 25, 2021, 9:56 AM
Anastasija Zolotic (R) of Team United States competes against defeating Tatiana Minina of Team ROC during the Women's -57kg Taekwondo Gold Medal contest on day two of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Makuhari Messe Hall on July 25, 2021 in Chiba, Japan. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
(Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
TOKYO (AP) — Anastasija Zolotic won the United States’ first gold medal in women’s taekwondo by beating Russian athlete Tatiana Minina 25-17 to claim the featherweight division title.
The 18-year-old Zolotic lets out a primal scream as she pulls on her helmet before each round.
The Largo, Florida, native has been telling friends and family since early childhood that she would be an Olympic champion, and she needed only one trip to the Games to make it happen.
Anastasija Zolotic just became the 1st American woman to win Olympic gold in taekwondo 😱@USA_Taekwondo x @TeamUSA x #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/oGWjQfvLJr
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 25, 2021
Zolotic and Minina had a high-scoring first round and a tactical second but Zolotic picked apart her Russian opponent in the third with two-point body kicks after nursing a one-point lead into the final round.
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