Lopez makes triple taekwondo target a family affair
The four-time world champion is this year joined by his younger siblings Mark and Diana in the taekwondo competition with their older brother and former world silver medallist Jean serving as the US head coach.
"When my family as teammates walk into the ring, it is almost unfair because it feels like it is four against one," the 29-year-old Texan said Friday as the family foursome prepared to walk together in the opening ceremony.
"When you're down by a point and you really need something, who else will you trust besides your brother who knows what to say, how to say it and when to say it?
"So our expectations are high to go out there and win gold medals."
The Lopezs are the first trio of siblings to represent the United States at the same Olympics in the same sport since 1904.
They could also become the first US family trio to medal after the Tritschler brothers all missed out in gymnastics 104 years ago.
Steven has competed and triumphed in the Olympics since the martial art made its Olympic debut in 2000 – in the 68kg division in Sydney and in the 80kg class in Athens.
"But these Olympics are very special to us because we'd be walking in the opening ceremony as a family and that gives us strength overall," he said.
It is the first Olympics for featherweight Mark, 26, and 24-year-old Diana who fights in the women's 57kg class.
But the trio has already won gold together when they all triumphed at the 2005 world championships to become the first three siblings in any sport to claim world titles at the competition.
"We always feel in our heart that he wanted it for all of us as a family," Mark said of Steven's Olympic golds in 2000 and 2004. "We have always said from the beginning if one of us wins we all win."
The Lopezs were introduced to taekwondo by their parents, immigrants from Nicaragua, who encouraged the sport to help their children build up their bodies and learn discipline.
Mark said rivalry within the family has been "one of the key factors in our success."
"Whenever I see Steven kicking fast, I want to kick faster. I see him kicking strong, I want to kick stronger. When I'm moving out with Diana, she grazes me in the face so I [have] got to move faster."
Steven is acutely aware he is not assured a third gold medal, saying there were several strong contenders as the sport grew in popularity around the world.
"There's not one country that I could look at now and [say],'Oh, it's an easy match for me''"
At last year's world championships the men's eight gold medals were shared among eight countries including South Korea where taekwondo originated.
"You have countries like Croatia, Mali and Azerbaijian winning gold medals in this sport," he said, also citing Turkey and Iran, who were his runners-up in 2004, and hosts China who have home advantage.
Diana named South Korea as strong contenders with their technical efficiency.