Taekwondo Star Jade Jones Returns To Gold Standard As Lauren Williams Makes Comeback In Bosnia

Wales’ taekwondo ace Jade Jones struck gold at the European Championship Olympic weights competition in Bosnia.

The double Olympic champ took the next step on the podium after making her return with silver at last month’s Euro Clubs event in Croatia.

Fellow Welsh fighter Lauren Williams – in her first and last competition of the year – bowed out in the quarter-final stage.

Jones beat Turkey’s Hatice Ilgun 35-11 to win the -57kg category.

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The Flint fighter had beaten Poland’s Patrycja Adamkiewicz 34-15 in the semi-finals having opened her event 29-0 whitewash of Jana Ruljic.

“Super happy to get a good performance in and finish the year on a high,” said Jones, in a social media post.

“All the hard work finally coming together.”

Jones had made her comeback last month having not fought since February due to a knee ligament injury and the COVID-19 suspension of competitions.

But her gold medal will be the perfect way to end the year as Wales’ world champ looks ahead of bidding for an historic third Olympic gold emdal in japan next summer.

‘Blackwood belter’ Williams did not compete at the Euro Clubs event having admitted this was a ‘challenging’ year.

Lauren Williams reached quarter-final on her first and last event of 2020.

The 21-year-old’s last apprearance was the World Grand Slam in Wuxi nearly 12 months ago.

“It’s been a challenging year but lockdown itself was actually a very positive experience for me, I loved every minute of it!

“It made me challenge myself and push myself because no one was there to do it for me.

“Everything was on me, I had complete control over my training and I loved it. I came back feeling so refreshed.

“I was definitely physically and mentally stronger. It’s taught me to appreciate the things I have so much more than what I ever did before.

“I always took the little things for granted, but not anymore. It changed me. I came back like a different person.

“Having a relatively clear calendar was a blessing in disguise for me, I feel like the pause button needed to be pressed.”

Williams, who hopes to join Jones on the plane to Tokyo, won her first fight back 17-3 against Kla Tvaronaviciute of Lithuania.

But in the last eight, she was beaten in the -67kg category by Turkey’s Ikra Kayir.