Tokyo Olympics: Lauren Price targets more Olympic success after boxing gold
- Published
Lauren Price produced am almost flawless performance against Li Qian to claim gold in Tokyo
Olympic boxing champion Lauren Price is likely to go for gold again in Paris rather than turn professional.
The 27-year-old became Wales' first Olympic boxing gold medallist with a dominant 5-0 points win over China's Li Qian in Sunday's middleweight final.
Price revealed her delight in sharing her medal win with her partner Karriss Artingstall, who won bronze in the women's featherweight in Tokyo.
"It's pretty crazy to be honest," said Price.
"We train together, we live together. We've just bought a house a couple of months ago and we never thought we'd be taking two Olympic medals back there! As soon as we won them, the first thing I thought was 'where are they going to go?'.
"I went to watch her fights and I get more nervous for her than I do for myself. And vice versa for her.
"It's pretty crazy to be on this journey together."
Lauren Price and partner Karriss Artingstall (left) are both Olympic medallists
'I love my life'
Price's historic Olympic title completed a remarkable set.
In the last three years she has won the Olympic, World, European Games and Commonwealth titles at middleweight.
But the Welsh fighter is targeting Olympic glory again in Paris in 2024.
"I'm still young," she said. "Paris is only three years away so why not do it all over again?
"I love my life. Being on a world-class programme in Sheffield, getting trained by the best, living the life of an amateur boxer - you couldn't wish for more.
"I'm going to have a few weeks off now, chill with the family, go back to Wales. Then I'll go back to Sheffield and train for the next big thing."
Nan's motivational texts
Price speaks to her grandmother Linda every day. Linda always responds with encouraging text messages.
In an interview before the Tokyo Games, the Duke of Cambridge suggested she should start her own motivational text message business, as we could perhaps all use them.
On the morning of the Olympic final, Linda got in touch to tell Price how proud she was that her determined little girl had come so far.
Linda and her late husband Derek raised Price from when she was three days old and always supported her sporting ambitions.
"It does obviously touch you," said Price. "Especially being away for six weeks now.
"Her messages do get me a bit and I take it into the ring. And my granddad. I know he's looking down on me. I got the decision and looked up and thanked him."
The multi-talented Price has added Olympic gold to her raft of boxing titles, kickboxing world titles and the 52 caps she won across the age groups playing football for Wales.
But with attention already turning to the next Games, Price's long list of sporting achievements is only set to grow.
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