Jade Jones wins Olympic taekwondo gold for Great Britain

By Nick HopeBBC Olympic sports reporter in London

Last updated on .From the section Olympicscomments102

Jones battles to taekwondo gold

Jade Jones claimed Britain's first Olympic taekwondo gold medal and the hosts' 25th of the London Games.

The 19-year-old beat Yuzhuo Hou 6-4 to take the women's -57kg title and avenge the Chinese fighter's sudden-death win at the 2011 World Championships.

After a nervous opening with few scoring opportunities, Jones took control of the final in the second round and powered to victory.

GB's previous best result was Sarah Stevenson's bronze in Beijing.

Jones told BBC Sport: "I still doesn't feel real, it feels crazy. I've dreamt about this for ages and the crowd have just been amazing. This can't be beaten.

"My coach is a legend and without him I wouldn't have been anywhere near where I was today. When I came out, I just wanted to go on and win.

"To be the first ever British taekwondo athlete to win Olympic gold is amazing. To win Olympic gold is special, but to perform in front of all my friends and family is just amazing."

The opening against Hou was tense, as each fighter tested their range during a scoreless first two minutes.

A low blow from the Chinese fighter accrued a second penalty which resulted in a point for Jones towards the end of the second round, while another shot to the body on the buzzer made it 2-0.

The Welsh teenager continued to go on the offensive and opened up a 5-1 lead heading into the final 30 seconds, closing out a stunning 6-4 victory.

Jones added: "I sang the national anthem and it was the best moment of my whole life. Amazing.

"I've seen this medal on pictures and seen other people get them. To finally have one round my neck, I still don't believe it. It's just crazy. Taekwondo is such a low-key sport that hopefully this will boost the profile.

"I will take a bit of time off first, get mentally sorted, then bring on Rio."

Team-mate Martin Stamper lost his semi-final against Turkey's world and European champion Servet Tazegul, 9-6 and lost out in the bronze medal match against Rohullah Nikpai of Afghanistan.

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102 comments

  • Comment posted by U11386411, at 23:42 9 Aug 2012

    John: It's not like she actually insisted on a Welsh flag. A couple of Union flags and a Welsh one were thrown towards her from the crowd and she grabbed one of each. She'd just won a gold medal for goodness sake, I hardly think she was thinking in such a calculated manner as you seem to want to believe. I think you are looking for controversy where there is none.

  • Comment posted by MikeWillisUK, at 23:43 9 Aug 2012

    7. "She is the first person I've seen to insist on the separate flag and that was slightly unneeded."

    ---

    I think you watched something different to what I watched? She did not 'insist' on the Welsh flag. Supporters in the stands threw her the Welsh flag and the Union Flag. She carried both. IMO it only helped to signify the fact that Wales is part of the union. Non issue.

    Congrats Jade! =)

  • Comment posted by Rusky68, at 00:09 10 Aug 2012

    The girl is off Flint and proud. I'm English but work in North Wales, and that girl can wave as many flags as she likes. She is a proud North Walian. We can all be proud she's British.

  • Comment posted by darrenfitzp, at 00:25 10 Aug 2012

    @6 John Proctor = Narrow-mindedness. I am WELSH and BRITISH and would proudly wave both flags, especially in a joyous moment like winning Olympic Gold and like mentioned by others proves the strength of the Union not it's 'divisions'

    Well done Jade you've done Wales and Great Britain proud!!!!

  • Comment posted by U15190675, at 00:24 10 Aug 2012

    Very Proud of The Young Welsh Dragon especially when I watched her on the podium belting out the anthem having a great time. btw I could not care less what Flags she runs around with as she showed more courage and respect during her tournament than all the national football teams combined.
    Our Greatest Team

  • Comment posted by U14610743, at 23:59 9 Aug 2012

    Proctor, I can't see a problem with her waving a Wales flag. You conveniently forgot to mention that she also had a Union Flag and that she was one of the few British athletes to sing the national anthem. If she refused to wave a Union Flag or to sing the anthem then I could see where you were coming from, but all she was doing was showing a harmless bit of pride in being both British and Welsh.

  • Comment posted by U15382661, at 23:42 9 Aug 2012

    In reply to John Proctor - I thought it was great to see her waving the Welsh flag alongside the British flag...
    Where I'm from (the English side of the Shropshire / North Wales borders) it's all to common to see either/or and almost never both.

    Well done Jade!

  • Comment posted by ztoical, at 01:04 10 Aug 2012

    @ 6 As others pointed she grabbed both flags and flew them with pride. It was clear from the interview after she was so emtotional and not 100% aware of what was going on.She talked about team GB not team wales. Don't see any issue with the Welsh, Scottish, English, Northern Irish, Isle of Man, Channel Islands etc flags being waved on equal footing with the Union Jack - it is a union after all

  • Comment posted by ding-ding75, at 02:19 10 Aug 2012

    @ 48. umpteenth_time_user save 606

    So you say taekwondo isn't a worthy sport just because the people at your local pub were too ignorant to figure out the rules

    I have been watching taekwondo for the 1st time this olympics and while i'm not an expert, i'm getting a handle on the rules

    Its worthy of a gold, especially when you consider her 1st fight was 10am and the final nearly 12 hours later

  • Comment posted by Tom_Finneys_Overcoat, at 00:51 10 Aug 2012

    Superb performance from a young Athlete. Rightly proud of her roots. Welsh and British. Good on her.

  • Comment posted by Ophiuchus, at 23:49 9 Aug 2012

    @6

    If look again closely she only picked up the flags that been thrown to her by the audience... she picked up two flags first the union jack then the Wales flag... with all the emotion and joy of winning gold boundary flag separation probably the last thing in her mind. Not a biggy.

  • Comment posted by U15196757, at 23:44 9 Aug 2012

    Well done Jade.
    As I saw it she ran around with a Union Jack AND a Welsh flag, so whats the issue?? She's just won a Gold Medal at the Olympics, at 19 years of age - GIVE THE GIRL A BREAK

  • Comment posted by sleepysark, at 23:28 9 Aug 2012

    Congratulations Jade. Another inspiring end to another great Team GB day

  • Comment posted by Zool, at 06:29 10 Aug 2012

    Congratulations Jade, from the people of a grateful nation

  • Comment posted by common_sense_isnt_common, at 00:08 10 Aug 2012

    @6. John Proctor - Get real! She won a medal for GB; that does not mean that she has to be 'in denial' of her origin. I support Team GB. My parents are from Jamaica; should I not be proud for the 1-2-3 in the 200m

  • Comment posted by Karamazov, at 23:58 9 Aug 2012

    No7
    She didn't "insist" on a separate Welsh flag - both were available for her to pick up from the crowd. Surely the whole point of Team GB is that one can take equal pride in being BOTH Welsh/Scottish/English/Northern Irish AND British. she certainly belted out the anthem too so I don't see her as making any Welsh nationalist statement as you seem to think. This is a non-issue...

  • Comment posted by U14419279, at 00:46 10 Aug 2012

    Well Done to Jade for winning GB's 25th Gold.

    I don't see any problem with the Welsh flag, she celebrated with both flags anyway, I'm an English Brit and I wouldn't have any problem if all GB athletes were to celebrate in the same way. As long as they have both flags what is the problem?

  • Comment posted by Welsh_Dragon_1971, at 00:10 10 Aug 2012

    I for one was delighted to see Jade Jones waving the Welsh flag. Like it or not John Proctor there are other nations other than England in the GB team. As well as condemning Jade, will you be condemning Sir Chris Hoy, Britain's most successful Olympian, whose parents flew a banner 'The Real McHoy' which displayed only the Scottish Soltaire.

  • Comment posted by lamournedurepas, at 23:57 9 Aug 2012

    @6 John Proctor

    You're having a laugh, right? Have you nothing better to do with your time than trolling the BBC HYS comments sections?

    Congratulations Jade - You've done the whole of Great Britain proud.

  • Comment posted by A realist, at 23:47 9 Aug 2012

    @ John Proctor,
    Your TV was obviously showing a different picture to mine.The one i was watching showed young Jade picking up both The Red Dragon and Union Flags which had been thrown to her

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