Louis Devereux summarises an outstanding Olympics performance from the Team GB boxing team in Tokyo.
The Team GB boxing squad based in Sheffield have achieved the team’s biggest haul of Olympic medals since 1920.
Centered at the English Institute of Sport, they equalled the medals achieved in Antwerp just over a century ago.
Team GB won six medals (two of each colour) and whilst all the medallists will be immensely proud of their achievements, it’s Galal Yafai, 28, and Lauren Price, 27, who brought home gold.
Yafai’s victory came first, winning on the Saturday after beating Carlo Paalam of the Philippines on a split decision.
He said: “Being Olympic champion is something I’ve always wanted to do.
“I trained hard, gave it everything, and it just shows that if you work hard, you can get the rewards.”
Galal Yafai
Price won her gold medal the following morning on the final day of the Olympics, impressively outboxing China’s Qian Li to a unanimous decision victory.
She said: “I really can’t put this into words- it’s a dream come true!
“I still can’t believe it, I’ve got to pinch myself, but it just goes to show that if you dream and work hard enough, you can achieve anything.”
Lauren Price
British boxing has been on the ascendency in recent times, with ten active world champions in the professional ranks, and some of the biggest events in boxing taking place right here in the UK.
The team GB boxers will most likely be looking to turn professional now the Olympics are finished, and even those who didn’t medal are surely set for great things on the professional side of the sport.
I can say with great certainty that boxing fans will be, like me, interested and excited to see what waits for our Olympic heroes in the paid ranks.
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