European Games: Delicious Orie brings British super-heavyweight hopes into first Olympic qualifying event | boxing news
An important heavyweight clash will take place this weekend. Delicious Orie kicks off its Olympic qualifying campaign at the European Games in Poland on Sunday.
Orie, the British amateur super heavyweight, hopes to follow in the footsteps of Anthony Joshua, Joe Joyce and Frazer Clarke, who have won GB medals at the Games in the last three Olympics.
In fact, it’s been 20 years since the GB has had a super-heavyweight Olympic medalist. That puts pressure and level of expectations on Orie, a relatively newcomer at the international level.
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Delicious Orie super heavyweight is determined to win the gold medal for Team GB at the 2024 Paris Olympics
The European Games are the first Olympic qualifying event for British boxers, with two more world qualifiers due next year.
“This is the tournament I’ve been looking forward to for a long time,” said Orie Sports sky. “I feel like I’ve accumulated enough experience to get me to the top of that podium.”
However, it will be difficult to qualify for this tournament. In the super heavyweight category, Orie will have to reach the final to win a place in Paris 2024.
“It’s a tight gap. The two best guys in Europe can qualify this time but I know I’m more than capable. Last year, I won a bronze medal in Europe. and I was also well aware of the competition. I was new then, I was new then,” he said.
“I’m aware of the competition, I know what’s going to happen and I believe I’ve trained hard enough.”
Although boxing in Europe is a much more extreme event than the Commonwealth Games, winning a gold medal in his hometown of Birmingham inspired Orie ahead of the competition.
“If GB Boxing gives me a chance to qualify, I know they know I’m ready. So that’s where I get my confidence back,” Orie said.
“They have time and again created super heavyweights on that podium. So I know I’m more than capable of that myself.”
But he was drawn into what could be his toughest competition in Poland in the first match. On Sunday night, Orie boxed Marko Milun, an experienced and sly Croatian southern tennis player.
But super-heavy GB insists: “I feel very confident.
“I can get that gold medal. I just know I’m more than capable of doing it.”
On Sunday England Harris AkbarLast year’s European gold medalist in 71kgs, also participated in the tournament, against Magomed Schachidov of Germany.
“He beat the best and he’s more than capable of doing it again,” Orie noted.
After a nice opening win, the Scots came in at 63.5kg Reese Lynch got his second match at this Olympics against Radoslav Rosenov of Bulgaria.
Mid-Range GB Kerry Davis will also be active today.
On Monday, England’s three major qualification hopes will be boxing; Olympic athletes return Charley DavisonWales’ Rosie Churchanother Commonwealth Games gold medal, and Kiaran MacDonaldwho won the silver medal at the European Championships last year.
