Pasadena's Esparza reaches Olympic boxing semis

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LONDON – Marlen Esparza, pride of Pasadena and CoverGirl model who recently appeared on the cover of Vogue, says she is popular, not famous.

She is more popular today than ever before.

Esparza pounded Karhla Magliocco of Venezuela 24-16 Monday afternoon to advance to the semifinals of the Olympic boxing tournament, delivering a historic win for U.S. boxing.

With the victory, Esparza guarantees herself at least a bronze medal, the first by a U.S. fighter at these Games. Her win is also the first for an American woman in the Olympics, as this is the first year for women's boxing to be on the Olympic program.

Esparza, who will face world flyweight champion Cancan Ren of China on Wednesday for the right to advance to the gold medal bout, says her work here isn't done.

"It feels good, but in the U.S. if it's not a gold it's not good enough, so I'm trying to get a gold medal, that's really what I want," Esparza said. "I'll be happy with whatever I get at this point, because no matter what it is, it's a blessing and I appreciate that I've made it this far. But in my mind, I really am dying for a gold medal."

With Team Esparza, a sizable (and loud) contingent of family and friends cheering her on at the ExCeL Arena, Esparza took control from the start of the fight and was never threatened.

"I nearly blew out a kidney yelling," her mother Carmen Esparza said. "We didn't want to be overconfident, but we saw the other girl fight (Sunday) and knew she couldn't beat Marlen fighting like that. Not at all."

Esparza was simply too quick and crisp for Magliocco, whose aggressive style played into Esparza's strength. When Magliocco charged ahead, she often had to eat an overhand right lead, a weapon Esparza said she hadn't been using much in training, but was reminded of when her trainer Rudy Silva arrived in London a few days ago.

Marlen Esparza of the USA, in blue, fights Venezuela's Karlha Magliocco in a women's flyweight 51-kg quarterfinal boxing match at the 2012 London Olympics on Monday, Aug. 6, 2012. With a victory in the bout, Esparza, is guaranteed of no less than a bronze medal. less Marlen Esparza of the USA, in blue, fights Venezuela's Karlha Magliocco in a women's flyweight 51-kg quarterfinal boxing match at the 2012 London Olympics on Monday, Aug. 6, 2012. With a victory in the bout, ... more Photo: Smiley N. Pool, Houston Chronicle Photo: Smiley N. Pool, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 11 Caption Close Pasadena's Esparza reaches Olympic boxing semis 1 / 11 Back to Gallery

The two worked out a couple of times in the Olympic Village, including Sunday afternoon, when NBA players on Team USA, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and "some other guy (Kevin Durant)," stopped their punching session and asked her to pose for pictures.

"I turned around and all these famous people wanted my picture," Esparza said. "It was really cool.

"I'm popular, they're famous. Big difference. I don't get harassed at the McDonald's line (in the Olympic Village)."

For now, perhaps, but a couple more performances like this one and that could change in a few days.

jerome.solomon@chron.com

Twitter.com/JeromeSolomon