Lauren Price guaranteed herself Britain’s last medal of these Tokyo Games by reaching tomorrow’s middleweight boxing final.
The Welsh wonder joined flyweight team mate Galal Yafai in winning the right to fight for Olympic gold by edging a split decision over arch-rival Nouchka Fontijn.
But the former cabbie from Caerphilly insists she will only be satisfied with a ride that takes her all the way to the top of the podium.
One look at her sporting CV tells you why.
A four-time kickboxing world champion, she won 52 football caps for Wales and turned down the chance of a career in taekwondo.
She finally settled on boxing but made it clear yesterday she would not settle for second best against China’s Li Qian, the No2 seed, when they meet just five hours before the Closing Ceremony.
“It has been a dream of mine to get to the Olympic Games, to become an Olympian and to get a medal,” said Price.
“But I am not stopping now – my aim is to win that gold.”
In the Kokugikan Arena that determination was clear to see against her taller Dutch opponent.
Fontijn towers over her and took the first round and although Price stepped it up in the second a point deduction for holding left her in need of a grandstand finish.
The 27-year old responded with a fierce onslaught which gave her the third on four of the five judge’s cards.
In the often bewildering world of Olympic scoring she still finished behind on two, in front on one and level on two more.
With three of a possible five points needed for the win, the two undecided judges were asked to name their ‘preferred’ winner and gave Price got the nod.
Not everybody agreed with the decision but Fontijn took it on the chin and later told Price it had been her last fight and she was hanging up her gloves.
By then the Briton’s thoughts had already turned to Li, although not before letting her nan know she was okay.
Linda, back home in Ystrad Mynach, had brought up Price since she was dropped off with her and her late husband Derek at just three days old, her biological parents unable to care for her.
Derek had travelled the world with her before he passed away last November and Price is fighting here with his memory close to her heart.
“I've had lots of messages but my nan is the only person I have replied to,” she said. “That is normal really, and something I have stuck to.
“You know what keyboard warriors are like. Some of them have never boxed in their lives and don’t know what they’re on about, so it is easier not to look at it.”
Price admits she does not know too much about her next opponent.
“Li is a good girl, she won the worlds in India," she said. "But we have never boxed each other.
“I think she is similar to my style – fast hands, fast feet. It is going to be an interesting one. She is world class but I am going to give it my all.”
