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Arlene Limas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Arlene Limas
Personal information
Born (1966-02-09) February 9, 1966 (age 60)
United States
EducationDe Paul University (1990)
Medal record
Women's Taekwondo
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games (demonstration)
Gold medal – first place1988 SeoulWelterweight (60–65 kg)
World Championships
Gold medal – first place1991 AthensWelterweight

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]
  • 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

[edit]
  1. ↑ "LIMAS, Arlene". TaekwondoData.com. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Arlene Limas". LaCancha.com.
  3. ↑ "Arlene Limas". USADojo. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Limas Makes Smooth Transition From Point to Taekwondo Fighting". Black Belt Magazine. Vol. 25, no. 8. August 1987.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Calling It Quits After 29 Years". Black Belt Magazine. Vol. 38, no. 11. November 2000.
  6. ↑ "Arlene Limas". Black Belt Magazine. Vol. 34, no. 10. October 1996.
  7. 1 2 "Lady Kung Fu". Black Belt Magazine. Vol. 32, no. 4. April 1994.
  8. ↑ "Women's Sparring". DiamondNationals. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  9. ↑ "Diamond Nationals". SportKarateLegends. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  10. ↑ "Hall of Fame". DiamondNationals. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  11. 1 2 3 "US Collegiate National Taekwondo Champions" (PDF). National Collegiate Taekwondo Association. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  12. ↑ "1986 World University Taekwondo Championships". Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  13. ↑ "National Collegiate Taekwondo Championships". Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  14. ↑ "Limas Requests Right to Fight". Black Belt Magazine. Vol. 26, no. 9. September 1988.
  15. ↑ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Taekwondo at the 1988 Seoul Summer Games: Women's Welterweight". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2018-09-19.
  16. ↑ "Diary of an Olympic Champion". Black Belt Magazine. Vol. 27, no. 2. February 1989.
  17. ↑ "2nd World University Taekwondo Championships". Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  18. ↑ "16th National Taekwondo Championships". Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  19. ↑ "Pan American Taekwondo Championships". Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  20. ↑ "1991 World Taekwondo Championships". Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  21. ↑ "1991 US National Taekwondo Team Trials". Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  22. ↑ "11th US Olympic Festival". Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  23. ↑ "Section 9". US Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  24. ↑ "Tulsan Makes Olympic Taekwondo Team". NewsOK.com. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02.
  25. ↑ "Olympic Bronze" (PDF).
  26. ↑ "US National Taekwondo Champions". Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  27. ↑ "State of Taekwondo". Black Belt Magazine. Vol. 37, no. 6. June 1999.
  28. ↑ "1999 US National Team Trials". Retrieved 30 October 2025.
[edit]
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