Capitol Heights Boxer to Compete Wednesday at Rio 2016 Olympics

CAPITOL HEIGHTS, MD — A man from Capitol Heights, Md. will be battling for Olympic gold as a boxer at the Rio 2016 Olympics starting Wednesday. Gary Antuanne Russell, who is fighting in the light welterweight category, is facing off against Richardson Hitchins off Haiti at 5:45 p.m. Aug. 10.

Russell, 20, weighs 141 lbs. and is competing in his first Olympics. He was the 2016 U.S. Olymmpic Trials champion and the 2014 National Golden Gloves champion.

His brother, Gary Russell Jr., was a 2008 U.S. Olympian in boxing, and he comes from a family of boxers: two of his other brothers are also boxers, and "they are the first family of four brothers to all win the National Golden Gloves," according to his TeamUSA.org profile.

Their father seems to have taken some inspiration from legendary boxer George Foreman, who famously named all his sons George: he's named all his sons Gary.

Russell is more than an athlete -- he's also an academic, and was named the valedictorian of his high school class.

Image via TeamUSA.org