Chayito Espinoza Martial Arts/ Taekwondo- Mexico Olympic Games Gold medalist

Maria del Rosario Espinoza, (born November 27, 1987 in La Brecha, Sinaloa) is a Mexican Taekwondo practitioner. Espinoza stands at 173 cm and weighs 69 kg.

Espinoza won her fIrst competition in taekwondo at the 2003 Pan American Youth Championship in Rio de Janeiro. Later she participated in Open tournaments in Canada, France, and Germany.

She won the 2007 World Taekwondo Championships in Middleweight (-72 kg) category defeating Lee In-Jong and also won the gold medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Heavyweight (+67 kg) winning over Brazilian Natalia Falavigna.

She participated in +67 kg weight class in the 2008 Beijing starting with a victory over Tunisian Khaoula Ben Hamza by a score of 4-0, later she beat Swedish Karolina Kedzierska 4-2. In semifinal she qualified to the final defeating British former world champion and eventual Bronze medal winner Sarah Stevenson by 4-1 and culminate winning the gold medal passing over Nina Solheim, earning the second gold for Mexico in the Olympics

In 2012, Maria returned to the Olympics in London. She carried the flag for Mexico during the Parade of Nations.

Excerpt from 2013 Inductees Program