Claressa Shields Wins Gold

On Wednesday afternoon China’s Ren Cancan, a southpaw counterpuncher edged out a victory over USA’s Esparza 10-8. Esparza will walk away with a bronze medal and be a part of Olympic history as the first American woman to receive a medal in the sport.

USA’s Claressa Shields beat Kazakhstan’s Marina Volnova 29-15 on Wednesday to advance to the Gold Medal round today. Shields, the 17 year old middleweight from Flint, Michigan beat Russia’s Nadezda Torlopova 19-12 to become the first American female  Gold Medalist.  Shields joined lightweight Katie Taylor of Ireland and flyweight Nicola Adams of Britain as the first group of women Olympic boxing Gold Medalist in the three weight classes offered for female boxers.

The medals won by Shields and Esparza will be the only ones claimed by Americans in boxing at the London Olympics. The U.S. men went home without a medal for the first time in Olympic Boxing history.