Thursday, Jul. 24, 2008

42 & 43 & 44. Mark, Diana, and Steven Lopez

Taekwondo
United States
Age: 26, 24, 29

They're the first family of fighting, three siblings from suburban Houston who tried out taekwondo because their father was a fan of kung-fu movies. Now, Steven, Mark, and Diana are taekwon Lopez, the second set of three sibling to make the Summer Games in the same sport — and the first since 1904, when three American brothers competed in gymnastics. Steven, already a gold medalist in the last two Olympics, is the straight arrow; middle child Mark, surprise, is the hyperactive one who likes attention. "I feel like a superstar," he recently said. Kid sis Diana is relatively shy. To top it off, their coach is older brother Jean. And before you dismiss the possibility that all three can take gold, know this: just three years ago, they each won world titles. "You know, me winning two gold medals, going for a third one, that's nice," says Steven. "But being there with Mark and my sister, and my brother being the coach, it's a dream come true. It's going to be awesome."