Claressa Shields won her second Olympic boxing gold medal Sunday, becoming the first American to win gold in two games.
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The last American boxer to win two gold medals was Oliver Kirk, who won both the bantamweight and featherweight titles at the same 1904 St. Louis Olympics, where only USA boxers took part.
“I worked so hard to get here”, she said, struggling to keep her composure through a rush of both relief and excitement.
Claressa Shields was never threatened in Rio as she dominated the field once again. Biles and US swimmer Katie Ledecky each won five – all gold for Ledecky – to lead to lead a big haul from American women. “I can not believe I just did this”.
The United States wrapped up the Rio Games on Sunday with three gold medals that ran the gamut of the Olympic experience.
Shields, 21, set the tone early, coming out at the bell with a wicked hook aimed at Fontijn, 29.
“Hopefully, I’m a household name now”, Shields said, “which I don’t doubt!”
Shields celebrated the announcement with a cartwheel in the ring before running around the arena with the American flag.
“I wanted to let everyone know that I’m not just a great female boxer but I’m one of the greatest boxers to ever live”, an overjoyed Shields said after the bout, ESPN reports.
The second round saw the boxers switch roles at times.
Before the match, Shields came to a conclusion: there was no way Fontijn was going to win.
“I just can’t stand the food at the canteen any more at the Olympic village”, she said.
The crowd, loud and rowdy, enjoyed this bout, particularly when both boxers showed a willingness to stand almost toe-to-toe and trade punches. Prior to the Olympics, Shields discussed the idea of moving everyone with her to Florida and Dusable is open to the switch. Some of those landed – and Shields followed them with a flurry of other hits. She is now 77-1 as an amateur, with her only loss coming four years ago. Fontijn opponents landed 8.6 total punches per round and 5.9 power shots. Then she stepped out of the ring to take a USA flag on a quick victory lap around the arena. At an event that thrives on athletes digging their deepest to find a way to win, this collection of National Basketball Association players was mostly notable for doing enough not to lose. It winds from her hometown of Flint, Mich., to Colorado Springs, where she now lives and trains.
Shields is the sixth American to win a Val Barker Trophy, but the first since Roy Jones Jr.at the 1988 Seoul Games. But as The Torch has reported, Shields hasn’t been able to convert her fame into the slew of endorsement deals one might expect.
Shields flashed her two golds. I’m just ready to have a break. I can’t hear that anymore. And when I got just a little bit of hope, look how far I’ve come.
And though she had said all along that there was no “if” in her pursuit of a second Olympic gold – victory was certain, she vowed – all she could say in the immediate aftermath was repeat over and over, “I can’t believe it!” “I want to go home”.
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Right now, the two-time Olympic champion wants to go home to Flint to see her family.
