Anastasija Zolotic becomes 1st American woman to win Olympic gold in taekwondo

Anastasija Zolotic
(Image credit: Luis Acosta/AFP via Getty Images)

History was made in Tokyo on Sunday when Anastasija Zolotic, 18, became the first American woman to win a gold medal in taekwondo at the Olympics.

Zolotic defeated Tatiana Minina of Russia in the 57kg final 25-17, giving the United States its fourth gold medal of the Tokyo Olympics. In the quarterfinals, Zolotic beat Hatice Kubra Ilgun of Turkey, the No. 2 player in the world.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.