- Lewis Oldham
- 31 October 2021
DAZN, Olympic success and why British boxing is the best it's ever been
Lewis Oldham picks out the reasons why the British boxing scene has never been in a healthier state…
Price, a former kickboxer and footballer, has also won golds at the World Championships, Commonwealth and European Games. Raised by her grandparents, Price would work on weekends as a taxi driver to help fund her aspirations as a boxer due to a lack of funding from the Welsh team.
The multi-talented Price has been capped over 50 times for the Wales Women's football team and she also won kickboxing world titles as a teenager.
But she gave up those sports in 2014 to focus on boxing and her Olympic 'dream'. Just three days after attending her local boxing gym, Price was sent to Cardiff for an assessment with the Welsh team. She secured her place with Team GB in 2017.
In 2019, she won gold at the World Championships and European Games and is also the reigning Commonwealth Games champion and ranked world number one.
Kickboxing and football
Price took up football and kickboxing at the age of 10.
At just 13, she won a silver medal at a World Championships in Athens in 2007, competing against women twice her age.
She is the youngest ever competitor at the British Championships and became a four-time world champion and six-time European champion in the process.
Price attributed her kickboxing abilities to her prowess at football. She was spotted by Cardiff City scouts and went on to play for the Bluebirds' U16s and senior side before captaining Wales U19s.
The tough-tackling centre back went on to claim 52 caps for Wales at senior level before switching allegiances to boxing in 2014.
Qualifying for Tokyo
Price secured her place in Japan with the gold medal at the Olympic qualifying event in Paris in June.
The Welsh star marched through the field winning every one of her bouts by a score of 5-0.
She defeated Russia's Zenfira Magomedaliev by a unanimous decision in the middleweight gold medal bout.
Price was giving away a height advantage and weight but she picked her shots brilliantly to stay clear of trouble and produce a superb performance.
The Russian, who defeated Price's long-time adversary Nouchka Fontijn en route to the final, had somehow reduced her weight to 75kg.
But the 5ft 6in Price was too speedy and skillful for the reigning light heavyweight world champion.
Earlier, Ireland's Aoife O'Rourke succumbed in the semi-final, while France's Davina Michel and Ukraine's Anastasiia Chernokolenko were also unable to stop Price in the respective preliminary and quarter-final clashes.
Tokyo 2020
Price won her opening round in Tokyo, defeating Mongolia's Munkhbat Myagmarjargal 5-0 in the Round of 16 before overcoming Panama's Atheyna Bylon 5-0 to make the semi-finals.
By progressing into the last four of her middleweight category, she guaranteed herself a bronze medal. She defeated Nertherlands' Nouchka Fontijn 3-1 to progressed into the final.
It was the fifth time Price had fought Fontijn and her third successive win.
While her semi-final was a tough contest for Price, there was no drama on the final day of the Games as she beat Li Qian - the 2018 world champion - via unanimous decision to win gold.
Price used superb lateral movement to confound Li, of China, getting in and out of range at will and controlling the tempo throughout.
Four scores of 30-27 and one of 29-28 went in Price's favour at the Kokugikan Arena as the 2019 world champion claimed Great Britain's 22nd and final gold of Tokyo 2020, cementing fourth spot in the medal table.
Gold medals
After a bronze at the World Championships in New Delhi in 2018, Price began to strike gold.
Price defeated home favourite Caitlin Parker to win gold in women's 75kg division at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
Price took a split decision 4-1 to improve on her gold medal in Glasgow four years previously.
Fourteen months later Price tasted glory in Minsk at the European Championships where Price gained a 4-1 split decision win over Rio 2016 silver medallist Nouchka Fontijn in the 75kg final.
Just a few months later a controversial final saw Price face Fontijn once more in the gold medal match with the the Dutch boxer being awarded the gold on a split decision.
Three judges had given the fight to Fontijn (30-27, 30-27 and 29-28), while two had Price ahead 29-28, but GB Boxing appealed. The second round was re-examined and awarded to Price.
The decision was therefore overturned, making Price the first Welsh boxer to win World Championship gold.
Fontijn did get revenge though in February 2021 at the Bocskai tournament in Hungary. The Dutch fighter scored a split decision win, meaning Price had to settle for silver in Debrecen.
Personal life
When playing for Cardiff, Price won the Welsh Premier League in the 2012/13 season, as well as being named the Football Association of Wales Club Player of the Year.
Price also studied a Foundation Degree in Football Coaching and Development at the University of South Wales.
Price was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to boxing.
Net worth
Lauren Price's net worth is believed to be around £1million.
