Wow!

17 year old Claressa Shields – our Teen Contender – just won the gold medal!

It’s a historic moment: the first time women have boxed in the Olympics and Claressa is the USA’s first female boxer to get the gold. USA flyweight Marlen Esparza won a bronze a few days ago. The USA male boxers? Not so much.

Claressa made history today and we are so thrilled and proud. As you can imagine, this is big deal for women boxing, for Claressa, and for her hometown of Flint. Do yourself a favor and watch the replay to see her million dollar smile and celebration dance.

It’s amazing to see a young girl with a pretty rough life make it to the world stage.

• Watch Claressa’s gold medal ceremony… she is so happy it will make you teary
• Watch the entire women boxing finals on NBC Olympics. Claressa is on at [0:50:20]
• Hear the interview All Things Considered did with Claressa after her fight.
• Go to WomenBox to find more details about everything women boxing, including an essay by Sue Jaye Johnson (who ‘discovered’ Claressa) and the wonderful hour radio special hosted by WNYC’s Marianne McCune and Rosie Perez.
• And of course, listen to Claressa’s original Radio Diary, way back before she was a rock star.