Lauren Price knows exactly what it takes to win Olympic gold. The Welsh star has triumphed at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
She believes Cindy Ngamba and Chantel Reed could potentially take over as Olympic middleweight champions.
N'Gamba, who trains with GB but will box for the Refugee Team, and Britain's Reid both have their opening bouts at Paris 2024 on Wednesday.
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Price celebrates becoming Wales' first female boxing world champion against Jessica McCaskill and discusses the next steps in her boxing career.
Price, currently a welterweight pro and current WBA world champion, trains at the GB Gym in Sheffield and has travelled to France to spar with N'Gamba and Reid.
“They both looked great in qualifying. Chantel has really quick hands. She's really similar to me. She's a little smaller, but she's got speed,” Price said. Sky Sports.
“So Cindy is up front, she's got a really good engine, she's got a good boxing brain. I think both girls have a big chance.”
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Price received a huge welcome from fans after becoming Wales' first female boxing world champion.
N'Gamba has competed against other world champions, including Price, Savannah Marshall, Natasha Jonas and Chantelle Cameron.
Price gave her a favorable review.
“She’s really like a machine,” she said of Ngamba.
“I believe she definitely has a chance of winning the gold medal if she's in top form. I think it comes down to the mental aspect of having the experience to handle the nerves on the big stage and believing in yourself.”
Price has a wealth of skills, but her temperament sets her apart. That was key to her success at the Tokyo Olympics.
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Price won the IBO, WBA and Ring Magazine welterweight world titles with a dominant win over McCaskill.
“That's the important thing,” Price said. “I remember my semifinal with Nushka (Fontaine). I was down 3-2 in the first round, and I think one of the most important things as a boxer is to stay cool.
“Even if you have to win round 2 to get ahead, you can't just come out of the second round and rush in. You have to do it the smart way.
“Especially at the higher levels, a lot of it is mental. Are you going to control the game? Are you going to score a shot that will catch the referee's eye? There's a thought process to it.
“The most important thing is to remain comfortable in such situations.”
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Price insisted his points win over McCaskill was the start of more big nights in Cardiff.
GB have lost four times and are yet to win at this Olympics, putting even more pressure on their remaining players.
They all have tough competition. Reid is scheduled to box Morocco's Khadija Mardi at 11:50 a.m. on Wednesday. Mardi, who came down to 75kg, was a world champion gold medalist at 81&kg.
Ngamba is going deeper. She will box Canada's 2022 world middleweight gold medalist Tammara Thibeault at 4 p.m.
GB men's light-middleweight Lewis Richardson also boxes on Wednesday, taking on Serbia's Russian-born Bakid Abbasov, a European gold medallist, at 7.45pm.
Price won the final at the Tokyo Olympics.
Dealing with the weight of expectation is important. It was essential to Price's Olympic triumph.
“I was always under pressure. Going into the Olympics, I was ranked No. 1 in the world and the expectation was that I would win the gold medal. There were a lot of people looking at me and there was a lot of pressure and I was in that situation a few times,” she said.
“No matter what I accomplish in life, I can't always get too far ahead of myself without staying grounded.
“I would say take each fight as it comes and enjoy the moment. There's a great team behind Team GB and boxing, with the support staff and all that. So I'm sure everyone will look after each other. I would say believe in yourself. All the hard work is done.
“Just have fun. The more comfortable you are, the better you will perform.”
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