Jade Jones Caps Incredible Year With Another Taekwondo Honour

Jade Jones has rounded off a memorable year by being crowned GB Taekwondo female athlete of the year.

The double Olympic champion beat off competition from World Champion and Rio bronze medallist, Bianca Walkden, and fellow Welsh fighter and World Junior title winner, Lauren Williams, to scoop her latest accolade.

In the space of 10 days the 23-year-old from Flint has been crown WTF World Grand Prix champion, the world governing body’s female athlete of 2016 and BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year.

Jones collected her latest honour at the GB Taekwondo end of year presentation evening in Manchester – and targeted an historic feat in Tokyo in 2020.

“No one in taekwondo has ever got three Olympic gold medals,” she said when asked about her future

“So, it makes me even more hungry to go to Tokyo and be the only one to do it. That would be amazing.”

Jones could well be joined in Japan by Gwent’s Williams whose rapid rise up the ranks continued in 2016.

Londoner Lutalo Muhammad won the male athlete of the year.

He broke the hearts of a nation with an emotional speech following his agonising last gasp defeat by Ivory Coast’s Cheick Sallah Cisse in the Rio 2016 -80kg final.

Paul Green, received Coach of the Year after masterminding Jones’ defence of the title she won in London in 2012.