Shakur Stevenson

With a dominating track record in international competitions, Shakur Stevenson might be Team USA’s best hope at ending the country’s 12-year Olympic gold medal drought for the men. Stevenson, a Newark, New Jersey, native who trains in Alexandria, Virginia, got started in boxing when he was 5 years old after his grandfather introduced him to the sport and served as his trainer. As he progressed through the ranks, the bantamweight (56kg/123 lbs) fighter turned in strong results at the youth level, particularly in international competition. By the time Stevenson won the U.S. Olympic Trials in December 2015, the 2014 Youth Olympic Games champion had already compiled an impeccable 17-0 record against international foes and was becoming a rising star in the sport. With a win in Rio, the confident young man from New Jersey's largest city could become the first U.S. male boxer to win an Olympic gold medal since Andre Ward, his greatest influence and favorite boxer.