With the Olympic Games now less than eight days away, lightweight Carlos Balderas has made the featured headlines in the LA Times. Eloquently written by writer David Wharton, the piece depicts the 19-year-old start into boxing, relationship with his father and the means it took to get him to the pivotal point of his amateur boxing career. A true representation of the American dream, Wharton's feature is a must read as he provides the world with an in-depth look at the Balderas clan. 

Here's an excerpt from the article titled A father's tough love mixed with a son's talent puts boxer Carlos Balderas in the Olympics - "The boxer dances across an empty ring, moving to a beat only he can hear. His punches snap with a grace honed by years of hard work.

All the times he rose early as a boy, running cold streets while classmates watched from a passing school bus, made him quick. All the times he trudged across town, lugging a duffel bag full of gear, made him strong."

To read the full article, click here. 

Check back at USABoxing.org daily for additional stories on the 2016 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team.