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Claressa Shields makes more history on Friday with another milestone

Fighters Network
27
May

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Claressa Shields isn’t just living up to the pre-Olympic hype — she’s surpassed it.

The 2012 Olympic gold medalist became the first U.S. woman in amateur boxing history to win two world championships on the elite/senior level on Friday. The 21-year-old captured the 2016 Women’s World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan at 165 pounds with a 3-0 victory over Nouchka Fontijn of the Netherlands in the finals match.

Shields becomes the first U.S. boxer, male or female, to win three combined world or Olympic titles. She also won the World Championships in 2014 in South Korea after women started competing in the biennial tournament in 2001.



Shields will now prepare for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in August, where she will attempt to make even more history. After qualifying in March, Shields will try to become the first U.S. boxer to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals ever.

“Between now and Rio I am going to just get better,” said Shields, who left her hometown of Flint, Michigan in May and lives and trains at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. “I am my biggest critic and I like to acknowledge my mistakes and fix them. I am in great shape and adding more tools to my arsenal so I can dominate in the Olympics again.”

Friday’s victory allowed Shields to extend her winning streak to 48 straight, dating back to the 2012 World Championships when she suffered the only loss of her career. She also claimed the most Outstanding Boxer award of the 2016 World Championships.

“To be a two-time world champion feels great,” Shields said in a press release. “I have never had these emotions before and it was definitely overwhelming. It made me feel so complete and happy in my heart.”

American heavyweight Shadasia Green (Newark, N.J.) also earned a silver medal in her first World Championships on Friday. Light flyweight Marlen Esparza (Houston, Texas), bantamweight Christina Cruz (New York, N.Y.), and light heavyweight Franchon Crews (Baltimore, Md.) all took home bronze medals.

 

 

 

 

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