Jade Jones Retains European Taekwondo Title After Tough Battle

Jade Jones hailed her European Taekwondo Championships victory as one of her best wins as she successfully defended the title in Russia.

Wales’ double Olympic champion was pushed all the way in the -57kg final before she retained the crown she first won in Montreux two years ago.

Jones needed the verdict of the judges who declared her the winner on superiority over Turkey’s Hatice Kubra in Kazan after the final had gone to a sudden death golden point.

The North Walian, 25, said: “A win is a win.

“When I won it was like a better feeling than ever before because it was so close. So, I feel on top of the world. I did really well in my first two fights but the third one was a bit iffy.”

Jones, who admitted beforehand she would be devestated had she lost, has cruised through her first two fights but found herself trailing in the semi-final.

But she drew on all her experience to win 17-14 against Poland’s Patrycja Adamkiewicz.

Jones added: “I just kept saying to myself, ‘I cannot lose this, I have got to do it and thankfully I did.”

Blackwood’s Lauren Williams defends her European title on Saturday.