Boxing ace Delicious Orie is one step closer on his path to Olympic glory after delivering a dazzling display at the 2023 European Games.
The 26-year-old was named as Team GB's flagbearer for the Closing Ceremony after a power-packed final few days in Poland, having cemented his seat on the plane to Paris after he defeated Bulgaria’s Yordan Hernandez Morejon for a spot in the men's +92kg final.
And after victory in the gold medal match against Mahammad Abdullayev of Azerbaijan, the past week in Krakow has been nothing but a dream for the boxer.
"It was great to qualify for Paris the fight before, but this gold is just the cherry on the cake," he said.
"It's so great to get the gold medal and become European Games champion but it means absolutely everything to me to have won that Paris quota.
"When I started boxing, I looked up to Anthony Joshua and just look at his history now, how he started boxing and how he developed as a boxer.
"Finding out that he got that gold medal at the London 2012 Olympics, that was the moment I said to myself, this is the route that I want to take.
"And I'm on that journey now, with only a year left."
With a Paris 2024 quota spot already in the bag, Orie was forced to put the achievement to the back of his mind ahead of one final bout in the Polish city.
And lifted by the confidence and knowledge of every Team GB boxer that has come before him, Orie stormed to victory in the +92kg category, beating Abdullayev by unanimous decision.
"I just tried to reset between the semi-final and final, so, especially this morning I just treated this as another fight.
"I put myself in position where I'm still pushing as if I haven't achieved anything, yet which allowed me to stay focused.
"It helped that I had four fights so the confidence from the previous few was already there. I was rolling and I felt really good about myself.
"[Abdullayev]'s a tough opponent and has been around for quite a while so he's very experienced.
"So, I knew that getting into the ring and I took that confidence from all the times I've represented GB.
"Knowing what other GB boxers have done in the past gives me that confidence, we've had the super heavyweights.
"Team GB produces so many athletes that come back with a gold medal and an Olympic medal so that only gave me more confidence to do the same thing."
Team GB won an incredible 49 medals throughout the entirety of the 2023 European Games, with Orie's gold just one of 12.
The final medal and the final champion, the boxer was delighted to have been named as the Closing Ceremony flagbearer and once again represent his nation on the world stage.
"It was a lovely touch being told I was going to carry the flag," he added.
"I'll be trying to hold off tears and holding onto the fact that Team GB and Great Britain have given me opportunities like this.
"I've had to work hard for it but the opportunities have been there and I've grabbed them.
"So, being able to represent and hold the flag for Team GB is my way of saying thank you to Great Britain for being such a great nation."
Sportsbeat2023