Anastasija Zolotic

Anastasija Zolotic was born on November 23, 2002, in Largo, Florida. Her parents, who immigrated from Bosnia and Herzegovina, inspired her interest in taekwondo, a sport her father practiced in his youth. Young Anastasija and her sister began participating in after-school taekwondo programs. Zolotic’s dedication to the sport deepened as she engaged in competitive training.

Her career progressed with notable achievements starting in 2014, when she secured a silver medal at the Costa Rica Open. The following years saw her consistently winning gold medals across various events and weight classes, including the Austrian Open and US Open in 2015, and the German Open, Presidents Cup, and Pan Am Open in 2016. In 2017, she continued her gold streak at the US Open, Spanish Open, National Championships, and Pan American Championships. A significant turning point in her early career came in 2018 with gold medals at the US Open, Youth Olympic Games Qualifier, World Championships, Luxembourg Open, National Championships, and Pan Am Open. She also earned a silver medal at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, competing in the girls 49 kg weight class.

Zolotic’s career milestones include a bronze medal at the 2019 World Taekwondo Grand Prix Final Moscow and a gold medal at the 2019 Pan Am Games. In 2020, she won gold at the Costa Rica Olympic Qualifier and in 2021, she secured gold at the Sofia Open and Mexico Open, alongside a silver at the Pan Am Championships in Cancun. The pinnacle of her career to date occurred on July 25, 2021, at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, where, at 18 years old, she became the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in taekwondo, defeating Tatiana Minina of Russia. She also participated in the 2022 World Taekwondo Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico, finishing 5th in the featherweight category.