Courtesy of ESPN
LONDON — Claressa Shields won the first middleweight gold medal in women’s Olympic boxing, a dominant victory by an exuberant American teenager who danced, brawled and even stuck out her tongue.
Irish lightweight Katie Taylor and British flyweight Nicola Adams also won gold medals at the London Games’ landmark tournament Thursday. They claimed the first Olympic titles in a growing sport that was banned in Britain until 1996.
The five-day event was one of London’s biggest hits. And even amid the sea of Irish fans cheering Taylor’s every move, the 17-year-old fighter from Flint, Mich., was one of the breakout stars of the games.
Shields capped her rapid rise through the amateur ranks in the past two years with three strong performances in the London ring, providing USA Boxing with a much-needed boost.
