At just 18-years-old, Anastasija Zolotic became the first U.S. gold medalist in women’s taekwondo on Sunday.
In a tournament filled with upsets, Zolotic defeated Russia’s Tatiana Minina with a 25-17 victory in the women’s under 57 kg final to complete her Cinderella run.
.@anastasijazolo is 18 years old and just became the first U.S. gold medalist in women's taekwondo.
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) July 25, 2021
This. This is epic. #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/8CkNnXPI9m
The Florida native has been one of Team USA’s most promising young athletes and a rising star in taekwondo, winning gold at Junior Worlds and a silver in the Youth Olympics.
But until her competition in Tokyo, Zolotic’s biggest win had been a gold medal at the Pan American Games in 2019.