Gutted Williams Vows To Learn From Worlds Heartache

Lauren Williams has vowed to come back stronger after missing out on a medal in her first World Taekwondo Championships.

The Blackwood-born fighter was beaten in her quarter-final bout in Muju, South Korea, by China’s Mengyu Zhang at -67kg.

Williams was left gutted after the 31-22 defeat when she conceded a flurry of points late in the fight.

The 18-year-old had been hoping to medal at the championship to add to her two world junior crowns and European senior title.

Williams admitted: “I am very disappointed.

“I came to Korea expecting to do really well and to lose in the quarter-finals is not good enough for me. I put too much pressure on myself to win.

“But taekwondo is a sport of fine margins and today I am on the wrong side of those margins.

“However, I know with time I will get over this disappointment and come back even stronger.

” I am only 18, this was my first World Championship and I will learn the lesson-as harsh as it seems at the moment.”

Seventh-seed Williams had squeezed through her last 16 bout against Greece’s Athanasia Mitsopoulou on golden point.

In her opening bout she triumphed 29-7 against Ivory Coast fighter Marie Federique Ekpitini.

Wales’ double Olympic champ Jade Jones begins her quest for the one major medal to elude her on Thursday.