Charlotte Craig Taekwondoka, participant of the 2008 Olympics Date of Birth: 02.02.1991 Country: USA

1. Biography of Charlotte Craig
2. Early Life and Introduction to Taekwondo
3. Rise in the Sport
4. Training and Influences
5. Olympic Debut and Future Plans

Biography of Charlotte Craig

Charlotte Craig is a young American athlete and aspiring taekwondo practitioner. She is regarded as one of the best in the flyweight category and currently represents the United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

Early Life and Introduction to Taekwondo

Charlotte Craig was born on February 2, 1991, in Riverside, California. She was first introduced to taekwondo at the age of two when her father and older brother took her along to a training session. Despite her young age, Charlotte became interested in the sport and her father decided to enroll her in taekwondo classes when she was five years old. She quickly showed promise and talent, achieving notable results and participating in various competitions.

Rise in the Sport

At the age of fourteen, Charlotte won the gold medal at the 2005 Senior Nationals. In 2006, she was awarded the bronze medal at a junior world competition. Her success continued in 2007, when she once again won a bronze medal, followed by a victory at the 2008 Good Luck Beijing Test Event. Despite her young age, Charlotte impressed many with her exceptional performance in the Olympic qualifiers.

Training and Influences

Charlotte Craig is trained under the guidance of Jimmy Kim, a former Olympic champion from 1998. She trains with Kim four times a week. Throughout her career, Charlotte has looked up to the Lopez family, renowned taekwondo athletes. Initially, she focused on Stephen Lopez's performances and later shifted her admiration to Mark and Diana Lopez. She considers them among the best athletes worthy of high praise.

Olympic Debut and Future Plans

Charlotte Craig is currently in Beijing for her first Olympic Games, which is both an incredibly challenging competition and a debut opportunity for her. Despite her youth, she is already contemplating her future plans, including obtaining an education and becoming a qualified specialist. However, her immediate focus remains on her bright athletic career.