Nia Nicole Abdallah is the 2004 Olympic silver medalist and the first U.S. woman to officially medal in Taekwondo

Taekwondo

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...

 at the Olympics

Olympic Games

The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...

.

Early Life

Abdallah was born and raised in Houston,Texas was introduced to Taekwondo by her stepfather when she was nine years old. He and her mother recognized her athleticism even at this young age. After graduating from George Washington Carver High School in Houston, She went on to become one of the best practitioners of her sport in the world, first as a Junior Olympic champion, then in open class international competition.

2004 Athens

Abdallah represented her country winning the silver medal becoming the first American female to win a medal in the olympics in Taekwondo

Taekwondo

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...

 since 1992.

2008 Olympic Trials

While trying to earn her spot to compete for her second gold medal in the 2008 Summer Olympics, in Beijing

Beijing

Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...

, Abdallah found herself at the center of controversy. Diana Lopez

Diana López

Diana López is an American born Olympic Taekwondo competitor of Nicaraguan ethnicity. She represented the USA at the 2008 Beijing Olympics...

 was receiving national attention for her hopes of joining her two brothers representing the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 in Taekwondo

Taekwondo

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...

. After 3 rounds of the final bout between, Abdallah and Lopez had no points had been scored, and the fight went into Sudden Death

Sudden Death

Sudden death may refer to:* Sudden cardiac death* Sudden death Sudden Death may refer to:* 1958 NFL Championship Game, nicknamed "Sudden Death" for its dramatic ending* Sudden Death , starring Robert Conrad...

 Overtime where Lopez allegedly scored a winning kick. Abdallah's loss was controversial due to obvious points judges did not count. Abdallah was devastated but continued to represent her country and cheer on her team mates. This is possibly the most controversial match in Taekwondo history.

Abdallah's competition record

2010 U.S. Open (welter): bronze

2009 U.S. National Team Member (Welter)

2008 Olympic Trials (Feather): 2nd

2007 World Championships: bronze

2007 National Collegiate Championships (Light): gold

2007 U.S. National Team Member (Light)

2007 U.S. Open (Light): bronze

2006 Dutch Open (Light): silver

2006 Pan Am Championships (light): silver

2006 U.S. National Team Member (Light)

2006 National Collegiate Championships (welter): gold

2005 U.S Senior Nationals (light): Silver (National Team member)

2004 Olympic Games: silver

2003 Pan Am Games: bronze

2003 U.S. Open: gold

2003 U.S. Senior Nationals: Silver

2002 U.S. Open: gold

2001 U.S. Open: gold

2001 U.S. Senior Nationals: gold