Dein erstes Forum » Munoz (68), and Lexi Thompson led the three Ame

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Shakur Stevenson started throwing punches shortly after he could walk. His grandfather began teaching him how to box at age 5, and he has barely lost since he won his first fight at 8.He dreams of world title belts and enough money to move his mother and eight younger siblings out of his beloved Newark, New Jersey. But first, Stevenson is in Rio de Janeiro to fulfill a dream that has consumed him since he went online and looked up the early history of his favorite boxer, Andre Ward.Most people say they want to become a world champion, but hes actually been obsessed and wanting to win a gold medal his entire boxing career, said his grandfather, Wali Moses. And now that hes reached the epitome of his career and a gold medal is right here, I think hes starting to roll toward it. The climb has been hard, but he wants it.Stevenson doesnt flinch from the weight on his shoulders heading into the Olympics as the brightest candidate to win the first mens gold medal in 12 years from once-proud USA Boxing.Ward was the last American man to claim the top prize with his brilliant performance in Athens, and the London mens team failed to win any medals at all for the nation that still leads the world in Olympic golds and total medals.With his speed, skill and unbeaten record in international competition, Stevenson has all the makings of an Olympic champion. A lucrative professional career awaits him in the fall, but the 19-year-old has spent his entire youth focused on the Olympic 123-pound tournament, which begins Aug. 10.I dont feel Ive really proved myself yet, Stevenson said. Id rather go to Rio first and win a gold medal, and then everybody can talk about me. When it comes down to it, it doesnt matter what anybody else thinks. I dont focus on everybody hyping me up. Its just me getting in that ring and fighting.Stevensons mother, Malikah, named him after Tupac Shakur, the rapper and social activist who died nine months before her first son was born. Stevenson mostly avoided trouble on Newarks tough streets, and his grandfathers steady influence kept him devoted to his sport.Moses vividly remembers the first time he saw his 2-year-old grandson throwing hands.We were watching Tuesday night fights, and he just started punching, Moses said with a laugh. Every time I took him to a tournament, even before he was old enough to fight, he would always say, `Pop-Pop, Im never going to lose. Hes always had that attitude. Hes just totally dedicated himself to the sport of boxing. Ever since then, each achievement, I knew something special was going on.Stevenson soon developed a compulsive habit of shadowboxing at every spare moment, although he acknowledges that it can be unnerving to the other people waiting in lines at cafeterias or airports.Stevenson has been capable of boxing 12 hard rounds since he was 10 years old, and he grew into a powerhouse under the tutelage of Moses and Kay Koroma, now the associate coach of the Olympic team. He even attracted the attention of Virgil Hill, the 1984 U.S. Olympian who became a light heavyweight world champion.Virg told him that hes the closest thing hes seen to Pernell Whitaker, Moses said of the 1984 gold medal-winning lightweight. That really gave him a boost, a vote of confidence. Since then, hes been winning everything. Hes put himself in position to be one of the top boxers in the world.Promoters know it, too. Stevenson has been surrounded by attention from people hoping to guide his career to stardom -- and some wouldnt have minded if he skipped the Olympics entirely.He couldnt stop when hes so close to his dream, although hes looking forward to ending the world travels necessary to compete for the International Boxing Association (AIBA).It makes me appreciate more of what Ive got, Stevenson said of his trips to Venezuela, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Ukraine and other out-of-the-way locales typically chosen for AIBA tournaments. I came from nothing, but I still had something still, because theres a lot of people out in the world that really got nothing. To be honest, I hate traveling, though. I wish we could just teleport to certain places.Stevenson realizes he fights in a brutal division of the Olympic-style sport. The bantamweight field in Rio includes Irish world champion Michael Conlan, London flyweight gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez of Cuba and a lengthy list of tested international fighters.He realizes thats much the same situation faced 12 years ago by Ward, another serious American talent who charged through an Olympic field to win gold.I want to start my career how (Ward) started, Stevenson said. The main thing Im looking forward to after Rio is getting off the plane and going to Newark. Seeing all the people and how they feel about me coming back with a gold medal, I cant wait for that moment. Kansas City Royals Store . Now that hes hitting streaking teammates with pin-point passes for easy layups, Love is asserting himself as one of the true superstars in the league. Wholesale Royals Jerseys . 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RIO DE JANEIRO -- Inbee Park could tell right away Wednesday that this was not an ordinary golf tournament.Walking onto the practice range, the South Korean flag on her red shirt and the Olympic rings just about everywhere she looked, the jangled nerves made her realize that playing in the Olympics -- the first for womens golf since 1900 -- brought the kind of pressure she doesnt usually feel.On the golf course, Park was as unflappable as ever.Facing top competition for the first time in two months, Park was flawless in a round of 5-under 66 that left her one shot behind Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand.Seiyoung Kim of South Korea also shot a 66.I was able to feel a lot of the players nerves when I was on the range and when I was playing out there, Park said. I havent played in a while, but this is not what I usually get all the time. I was able to tell -- everybody was quite proud to represent their country and quite excited and quite nervous at the same time.Jutanugarn, a four-time winner coming off her first major at the Womens British Open, kept her calm during a wild ride.She pulled a 6-iron into the native area left of the green on the par-3 fourth hole and made double bogey, quickly erasing birdies on the previous two holes. Jutanugarn followed with another 6-iron to 8 feet for eagle on the next hole, and she was on her way.I had one double, but I felt OK, Jutanugarn said. I want to play my game and not worry about it.A short birdie putt on the 16th gave her a one-stroke lead after an opening round noted for the heat and laborious pace of play. It took the final threesome just over 5? hours to complete the opening round.For the second straight week, a Brazilian native opened the golf competition. Miriam Nagl was picked to hit the first tee shot.Being in my home country and golf being back in the Olympic Games ... its just very special to me, she said. Nagl and Victoria Lovelady, the two Brazilians in the 60-player field, each shot 79.Womens golf was last part of the Olympics in 1900 in Paris, and then it was only a nine-hole competition among 10 wommen.ddddddddddddThese games are all about the South Koreans, who have dominated womens golf for the last generation. The maximum four players who qualified are among the top 10 in the womens world ranking, and there has been talk back home about sweeping the podium.Being a Korean womens golfer, I think we always have that kind of pressure on our shoulders, Park said. Its hard, because we play 30 events a year, and there isnt many weeks where all Korean golfers finish 1, 2, 3. Being able to do it in the Olympics would be something unreal, but obviously its going to be something thats very, very hard to do with all the great competitors around the world.At the same time, it is pressure for a lot of us, she said. It is a really hard one. But you know, we really cant help it.Spain got off to a strong start behind Carlota Ciganda (67) and Azahara Munoz (68), and Lexi Thompson led the three Americans at 68. Lydia Ko, the No. 1 player in womens golf, got into the picture only late in the day when she holed out with a 9-iron from 135 yards for eagle on the par-4 15th hole.It was my first eagle at the Olympics, Ko said after a 69. So I think its great.Park, 27, last competed on a big stage two months ago at the KPMG Womens PGA Championship, where she became the youngest player to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame. Park missed the cut and skipped the next two majors because of a thumb injury that has been bothering her all year.The time off allowed her to get ready for the Olympics. Park felt good in practice and carried that to the course, looking much like the player who has won seven majors.Park never came seriously close to bogey. Her bid for a fourth straight birdie spun out on the 13th hole, and she missed a 6-footer on the next hole. Park missed six birdie chances from 10 feet or under, though that presented more hope than frustration.I always like to deal with missed opportunity than not even having an opportunity, she said. ' ' '