Who is Jennifer Lozano? All about the American boxer who became the first Olympian from from Laredo, Texas

Jennifer Lozano is one among the 592 athletes who have qualified to represent the U.S. Olympic team at the Paris Olympics in 2024. However, her journey has been a rather unique one. From being bullied for her weight, as well as her gender, the 21-year-old flyweight boxer from Texas has come a long way.

Lozano booked her berth in Paris Olympics 2024 by virtue of being the runner-up in the flyweight category at the Pan American Games 2023. The 21-year-old spoke of her qualification:

"We are going to Paris baby! La Traviesa es de Laredo, Texas! [The troublemaker from Laredo, Texas] We are ready for all of the world, we are going to the Olympics. Being the first Olympian from Laredo means a lot to me." [via ESPN]

Lozano also wants to prove to the world through her example that nothing is impossible. To quote an excerpt from her statement:

"I know what I'm capable of. And I know back in my hometown, I'm showing every kid that they can do it. I'm basically making what was once impossible in my city possible right now." [via TeamUSA]

Jennifer Lozano's family & Hometown

Lozano [in Blue] in action at the Pan Am Games 2023 [Image Source: Getty]

Jennifer Lozano hails from the border town of Laredo, Texas. Her family originally hails from Mexico. Lozano is a hardcore fan of Floyd Mayweather Jr., and grew up watching the boxing of Mexican legend Jackie Nava.

Interestingly, the nickname of 'La Traviesa' [The Troublemaker] was given by her own grandmother. Lozano was bullied during her young days for being overweight and taking up boxing as a girl.

"Back in the day, there was a culture that women shouldn't box. Especially being from a town that isn’t on the map, there's a lot of 'machismo' there. It’s all about the men while women are in the kitchen and things like that," Lozano said (as quoted by Olympics.com).

“So I started boxing and started losing weight, which gave me that passion of wanting to compete. My mum asked the coach if I could and, of course, he said, ‘No. You're still fat, you're still a girl and girls will never box’. That shattered me. It broke me. But my mom saw something in me that I didn't see in myself at the time," she added.

Jennifer Lozano's notable performances

Jennifer Lozano is a flyweight boxer, who represents the U.S. Olympic Team in the 50 kg. category of women's boxing. She began representing USA in international boxing at the AIBA Amateur World Boxing Championships in 2022. However, she couldn't proceed beyond the first round.

Lozano then contested for the Pan American Games in 2023. Though she lost to Caroline de Almeida in the finals, her silver medal was more than enough to provide her a direct ticket to Paris Olympics.

Jennifer Lozano's potential challengers at the Paris Olympics

The 21-year-old's road to the podium in Paris is easier said than done. The previous champion, Stoyka Krasteva of Bulgaria won't be there to defend her title this time.

Buse Naz Cakiroglu, one of Jennifer Lozano's main challengers [Image Source: Getty]

However, the silver medalist from the Tokyo Olympics, Buse Naz Cakiroglu of Turkey, will definitely flex her muscles in this event. Cakiroglu has been consistent with her form, and recently won the gold medal at the 2024 European Boxing Championships in Belgrade.

Nikhat Zareen, another formidable opponent for Jennifer Lozano [Image Source: Getty]

Apart from the Turkish boxer, Lozano will also face two world champions, Wu Yu from China, and Nikhat Zareen of India. Wu Yu is the defending world champion in the flyweight category, while Nikhat Zareen is aiming to improve the legacy established by former world champion and London Olympics 2012 bronze medalist from M C Mary Kom.

It would be interesting to see how Lozano overcomes these challenges in a bid to stand on the much-coveted Olympic podium.