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PARIS — It seems there's almost nothing that could derail CJ Nickolas' quest for an Olympic medal. A malformed vertebra couldn't stop him. Neither could heart surgery. Or a change of weight divisions that everyone thought was a big mistake. Breaking his arm in the buildup to the Games was just a minor distraction, too. The 22-year-old Nickolas is the highest-ranked U.S. athlete in taekwondo at No. 2 in the men's 80-kilogram class. The world championship silver medalist will be leading the four-member U.S. taekwondo team in Paris and is hoping to be the first American man in the sport to stand on the Olympic podium in 12 years.
