RSS Feeds  Esparza, Shields chase gold in women's boxing
Tuesday - 8/7/2012, 4:57pm  ET  AP Sports Writer  LONDON (AP) -
Marlen Esparza already knows she'll stand on a podium Thursday
with a medal around her neck from the first Olympic women's
boxing tournament.  The American flyweight's next two fights _
the last of her boxing career _ will determine its color.  "In
the U.S., if it's not gold, it's not good enough, so I'm trying
to get a gold," Esparza said.  That's classic Esparza _ blunt,
contemplative, more than a bit self-critical.  That personality
drove her to the top of a sport that allowed no Olympic
aspirations when she took it up over a decade ago. And that
drive has secured her place in the sport's history no matter
what happens in her semifinal bout Wednesday against China's
world champion, Ren Cancan.  Esparza and middleweight teammate
Claressa Shields are among the 12 medalists in a tournament
receiving widespread praise and driving international interest
in an amateur sport that's decades rem