Meet Delicious Orie: Anthony Joshua’s sparring partner and boxing gold medal hopeful at Paris 2024 Olympics
DELICIOUS Orie is part of Team GB’s boxing team at the Paris Olympics.
He is the sparring partner of Anthony Joshua and after winning gold at the European and Commonwealth Games, he is eyeing now Olympic gold at the Paris Olympics.
Who is Delicious Orie?
Delicious Orie is a British boxer.
He was born in Moscow on May 31, 1997 to a Nigerian father and a Russian mother.
Orie relocated to England at age seven to escape racial prejudice, settling in Wolverhampton.
He played basketball in his youth before transitioning to boxing at the age of 18.
Orie secured a bronze medal at the 2022 European Championships, marking his arrival on the international stage.
He went on to clinch gold medals at both the 2022 Commonwealth Games in England and the 2023 European Games in Poland.
In a BBC interview in 2022, his father disclosed that Orie’s name draws inspiration from Delicious Kennedy, the vocalist of the renowned American R&B and pop group ‘All for One’.
Orie holds a first-class honours degree in Business and Management from Birmingham’s Aston University.
He told The Sun: “I only started taking boxing seriously after I watched AJ at London 2012.
“That’s when it really resonated with me.
“That’s my first and biggest Olympic memory — until I do it!
“When I started, the man everyone looked up to was Anthony Joshua.
“From then it was in my head that I need to win a medal, because this is what GB Boxing has been doing time and time again and proved over and over again.
“So it’s only right for me to go out there and do that.
“To listen to the coaches and go up there and perform and just have full belief and trust in them and myself.”
His plan is to turn professional after the Olympics.
He added: “So this is the plan — Paris Olympics and then turn professional. And then world heavyweight champion by 2029.
“Early 30s, world champ — I’ll be happy with that.”
Will Delicious Orie be competing in the Paris Olympics?
Yes, Delicious Orie will be competing in the Paris Olympics.
He secured his spot for Team GB after he won a gold medal at the 2023 European Games in Poland.
He told GB Boxing: “Winning gold at a multi-sport event like the Commonwealth Games was a brilliant and I am looking forward to putting all of that experience to good use at the Olympics.
“We have all worked so hard to get to this point and, it is great to have qualified, but the job is not yet done and my aim is to keep working hard and make sure I am in the best possible shape when it comes to competing on the biggest stage of all in Paris.”
When will Delicious Orie be competing in the Paris Olympics?
Delicious Orie will compete from Saturday July 27 to Saturday August 10, 2024 in the Paris Olympics.
The Olympic boxing competition features 124 male and 124 female participants across seven weight classes.
BBC will broadcast the Paris Olympics on BBC Sport and BBC iPlayer live.