Arlene Limas

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Arlene Limas
File:ARLENE WMEDAL.tif
Personal information
Born (1966-02-09) February 9, 1966 (age 60)
United States
Alma materDe Paul University (1990)
Medal record
Women's Taekwondo
Representing the File:Flag of the United States (23px).png United States
Olympic Games (demonstration)
Gold medal – first place 1988 Seoul Welterweight (60–65 kg)
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1991 Athens Welterweight

Arlene Limas (born February 9, 1966)[1] is an American taekwondo practitioner and multiple international gold medalist of Mexican and Polish descent.

Early life and education

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Limas graduated with honors from Whitney Young Magnet High School in Chicago and studied political science at De Paul University in 1990.[2][3]

Career

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Limas began her martial arts training in Shaolin kung fu at age 5 before starting taekwondo at age 8.[4][5] At the age of 15 she began competing in Sport Karate,[6] where she was known as "Lady Kung Fu".[7] She was a top ranked point fighter winning the Diamond Nationals in 1983 and 1986.[8][9] In 1989 she was inducted into the Diamond Nationals Hall of Fame.[10] She was also known for her competitive rivalry with Linda Denley.[7]

Limas then transitioned to taekwondo competition,[4] taking 1st in the 1986 the US Collegiate National Taekwondo Championship,[11] and winning gold in the World University Taekwondo Championships.[12] In 1987 Limas took 1st at the National Collegiate Taekwondo Championships.[13][11] Limas had to appear before an International Olympic Committee board to request to participate in the 1988 Olympics because she had previously been paid to fight in sport karate events.[14] Limas made history when she became the first American to win a gold medal at the 24th Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea in taekwondo, which made its Olympic debut as an exhibition sport.[15][16]

In 1989 Limas won the US Collegiate National Taekwondo Championship.[11] In 1990 Limas took gold at the World University Taekwondo Championships,[17] took 1st at the National Taekwondo Championships,[18] and took gold at the Pan American Taekwondo Championships.[19] In 1991 Limas took gold at the World Taekwondo Championships,[20] took 1st at the US National Taekwondo Team Trials,[21] and took 1st at the US Olympic Festival.[22] Limas sued the United States Taekwondo Union for a chance to fight Danielle Laney for a spot on the 1992 Olympic team,[23] but lost her bout with Laney.[24][25] Limas retired from competition in 1992 and opened up her own martial arts school "Power Kix Martial Arts" in Stafford, Virginia.[5]

In 1998 Limas made a comeback and won the US National Taekwondo Championship.[26][5] She was an Olympic hopeful for the 2000 Olympics,[27] having won the 1999 US National Team Trials,[28] but she failed to qualify and retired after 29 years of competition.[5] Limas is a member of the Taekwondo Hall of Fame.[2] Limas was inducted June 20, 2019 into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame located in Troy, Michigan.

Career achievements

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  • 1986 - World University Championships, Gold Medalist (Berkeley, California)
  • 1987 - National Championships Gold Medalist
  • 1988 - Olympic Team Member (Tae Kwon Do)
  • 1988 - Olympic Gold Medalist - Welterweight Division, Seoul, Korea
  • 1990 - National Championships Gold Medalist
  • 1989, 1990 - Olympic Sports Festival Captain (West Team) and gold medalist
  • 1990 - Pan-Am Tae Kwon Do Championships (Puerto Rico) Gold Medalist
  • 1990 - World University Games (Spain) Team Captain & Gold Medalist
  • 1990 - World Cup Gold Medalist (Spain)
  • 1991 - National Championships Welterweight Gold Medalist
  • 1991 - Olympic Festival Gold Medalist
  • 1991 - World Championships Gold Medalist (Athens, Greece)
  • 1989 - National Championships Gold Medalist
  • 1998 - U.S. Team Trials Silver Medalist
  • 1998 - Olympic Weight Division Qualifier Gold Medalist
  • 1998 - Choson Cup Olympic Weight Division Invitational Gold Medalist, (Australia)
  • 1998 - Pan Am Games Team Trials Silver Medalist
  • 1999 - U.S. Team Trials Gold Medalist

Career honors

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  • 2007 - Taekwondo Hall of Fame
  • 1987 - Collegiate Athlete of the Year
  • 1989 - March of Dimes Amateur Athlete of the Year
  • 1989 - Named "Woman of Vision" - Latin Women's Organization for Business Professional Involvement
  • 1991 - U. S. Taekwondo Union "Woman of the Year"
  • 2000 - Selected as one of the top TKD fighters of the 20th century by TKD Times and Martial Arts Illustrated
  • 2011 - Owner and founder of "Power Kix Martial Arts" Tae Kwon Do studio in Stafford, Virginia

References

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