17-y-o Shields leads trio of women to win boxing gold
LONDON, England (AP) — Claressa Shields won the first middleweight Olympic women’s boxing medal in exuberant style yesterday, with the remarkable teenager dancing, brawling and even sticking out her tongue during a dominant title bout.
Shields, Irish lightweight Katie Taylor and British flyweight Nicola Adams won the sport’s first gold medals, capping a landmark tournament with the first Olympic titles.
The 17-year-old Shields is the breakout star of the London Games, capping her rapid rise through the amateur ranks in the past two years with three dominant performances. Her power and elusiveness were far too much for Russia’s 33-year-old Nadezda Torlopova, nearly twice Shields’ age and half her speed at times.
Most of the raucous crowd came to see Taylor, who claimed Ireland’s first gold medal at these Olympics amid a patriotic fervor highlighted by Irish flags and songs.
