View source for Lawrence Stevens (boxer)

{{short description|South African boxer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Use South African English|date=May 2012}}
{{MedalTableTop}}
{{MedalSport | Men's [[Boxing at the Summer Olympics|Boxing]]}}
{{MedalCountry| {{flag|South Africa|1928}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|Olympics}}
{{MedalGold| [[1932 Summer Olympics|1932 Los Angeles]] | [[Boxing at the 1932 Summer Olympics - Men's lightweight|Lightweight]]}} 
{{MedalCompetition|[[Commonwealth Games|British Empire Games]]}}
{{MedalSilver| [[1930 British Empire Games|1930 Hamilton]] | Featherweight}}
{{MedalBottom}}

'''Lawrence Stevens''' (25 February 1913 &ndash; 17 August 1989) was a South African [[boxing|boxer]] who competed in the [[1932 Summer Olympics]]. He was born in [[Johannesburg]] and died in Durban, Natal. Both of his parents were born and raised in Johannesburg, all four of his grandparents were immigrants from [[England]].

In 1930, he won the featherweight silver medal at the [[1930 British Empire Games]] after losing the final to [[Frank Meachem]]. Two years later, he won the gold medal in the lightweight class after winning the final against [[Thure Ahlqvist]].

Stevens was mentioned on the British quiz show ''[[Pointless]]'' on 26 January 2016, where South Africa was a "pointless answer" in the category of "Countries that won a gold medal winners at the 1932 or [[1936 Summer Olympics]]".

Of [[Cornish people|Cornish]] descent, he was known as 'the Gentleman Boxer'. On the way home from the Olympics, a fellow passenger in the liner persistently asked Laurie to go a few rounds with him in the gym, eventually Laurie agreed and after two rounds, woke up to the fact that the fellow passenger was trying to knock him out, so that he could claim an Olympic Gold scalp. Laurie said 'enough Chum' and that was the end of a dream.

He fought in the Desert during the Second World War.  In the postwar years he owned a factory and a sports shop in Rissik Street, Johannesburg. A handsome, laughing man, he always cried when recalling the raising of the [[Flag of South Africa (1928–1994)|Union Flag]] and the playing of [[God Save the Queen|God Save The King]] on the day he won his Olympic gold medal.

==1932 Olympic results==
Below are the results of Lawrence Stevens from the boxing tournament at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics.  Stevens competed for South Africa as a lightweight.

* Round of 16: defeated [[José Padilla Jr.|Jose Padilla]] (Philippines) by decision
* Quarterfinal: defeated [[Franz Kartz]] (Germany) by decision
* Semifinal: defeated [[Mario Bianchini]] (Italy) by decision
* Final: defeated [[Thure Ahlqvist]] (Sweden) by decision (won gold medal)

==External links==
*{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/st/laurie-stevens-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418115642/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/st/laurie-stevens-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |title=Lawrence Stevens}}
*{{boxrec|id=050562}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions Boxing Lightweight}}
{{1932 Olympic Gold Medalists Boxing}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens, Lawrence}}
[[Category:1913 births]]
[[Category:1989 deaths]]
[[Category:Boxers from Johannesburg]]
[[Category:Featherweight boxers]]
[[Category:Lightweight boxers]]
[[Category:Boxers at the 1932 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic boxers for South Africa]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for South Africa]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1932 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Boxers at the 1930 British Empire Games]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for South Africa]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in boxing]]
[[Category:South African male boxers]]
[[Category:South African people of Cornish descent]]
[[Category:South African military personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:White South African people]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 1930 British Empire Games]]
[[Category:20th-century South African sportsmen]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists in boxing]]