Middleweight (69-75 kilograms), Women

Claressa Shields had been utterly dominant in her division since winning the 2012 Olympic title and had never remotely looked like losing even a single bout since then. As such she arrived in Rio as world champion, top seed and one of the hottest favourites of the entire Games. She did not disappoint.

Three successive points victories gave Shields the gold in Rio as she defeated opponents from Russia and Kazakhstan before turning back the challenge of Dutch fighter Nouchka Fontijn in the final. Fontijn fought bravely but could not match the accuracy or aggression of the 22-year-old from Flint, Michigan.

Shields was awarded the newly inaugurated women’s version of the Val Barker Trophy for the most stylish boxer of the 2016 Olympics. With her career record standing at 78 wins from 79 bouts in “amateur” boxing, she then felt it was time to jump to the pro ranks and made her professional debut in November 2016.