A name has emerged as the beacon of hope for American taekwondo on the grandest stage of them all- the Olympics. A 22-year-old prodigy, Carl Alan Nickolas Jr. aka, C.J. Nickolas, has shattered all barriers, ready to rewrite history by becoming the first U.S. taekwondo athlete to secure a coveted spot at the qualifier stages for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

With a silver medal already adorning his chest from the World Taekwondo Championships in 2023 and endless wins from all across the globe, the young athlete is now all suited up to set foot for the ultimate international glory. Notably, C.J. Nickolas also won the gold twice in the Pan American Taekwondo Championships and has become the first one from his country to secure a quota for the 2024 Summer Olympics. So, let’s explore deeper into the star’s persona!

History made as C.J. Nickolas clinches Olympic quota for U.S. in taekwondo at Paris 2024

Since 2009, America has not received a medal in the World Taekwondo Championships. It is C.J. Nickolas, who finally grabbed a silver in the welterweight division in the World Championships. C.J. Nickolas has ended a dry spell, potentially becoming the next American athlete to win an Olympic medal since 2012. Terrence Jennings was the last to win a bronze medal in the Olympics in 2012 in the men’s division. 

Back in 2019, Nickolas could not make it to the Top of the World Championship, as he was eliminated in the second round. Just a few months after the loss at Manchester, he lost a stand on the podium in the 2019 Pan American Games. Fast forward to the 2022 Pan American Taekwondo Championship, C.J. Nickolas grabbed a gold medal and did not end his winning streak as he started to weave his Olympic dream.

Raised in a family deeply rooted in taekwondo, C.J. Nickolas took his first steps on the martial arts path at the tender age of three alongside his dedicated mother. Under the strict guidance and able mentorship of his mother, Nickolas now stands at the pinnacle of his sport.

Nickolas’ journey to taekwondo excellence from family roots to Olympic heights

Revealing his mindset for Paris, in a recent interview with NBCBayArea Nickolas said, “I genuinely in my heart I feel like I am the best in the world. But it’s a matter of putting it together on that day, and believing once I get on that mat.”

Sharing his childhood memories and his early days of training with his mother, he added, “When I was growing up, she (his mother) was training next to me, the whole time I was training she was I could see her in the corner I couldn’t let my mom outdo me.” Besides his technical prowess, his unwavering confidence might make him a force to be reckoned with on the mat.

C.J. Nickolas’ mother, who has been a continuous force behind his success, stated, “He is officially going to the Olympics. There is no way he can move from the top to I genuinely believe he is going to win.” With the weight of a nation’s hopes resting squarely on his shoulders, will C.J. Nickolas succeed in making his mother and his nation proud by securing a win at the famous international competition?

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