<P> Clay was born and raised in Louisville , Kentucky , and began training as an amateur boxer when he was 12 years old . At age 18 , he won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome and turned professional later that year . At age 22 in 1964 , he won the WBA , WBC , and lineal heavyweight titles from Sonny Liston in a major upset . Clay then converted to Islam and changed his name from Cassius Clay , which he called his `` slave name '' , to Muhammad Ali . He set an example of racial pride for African Americans and resistance to white domination during the Civil Rights Movement . </P>
when did muhammad ali win an olympic gold medal
at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome