Flint’s Jade Jones’ Olympic dream ends early in Paris

Great Britain’s Jade Jones’ hopes of making Olympic history were dashed as she faced an early defeat in the taekwondo -57kg first round in Paris.

The 31-year-old Flintshire athlete aimed to become the first three-time Olympic champion in the sport’s history but fell short in a closely contested match.

The two-time gold medallist faced Macedonia’s Miljana Reljikj in the round of 16.

In a best-of-three tie, Jones lost the first round, narrowly won the second, and drew the third.

The match was ultimately decided by the number of registered hits, with Reljikj emerging victorious.

Despite the defeat, Jones’ Olympic journey may not be over. She has the opportunity to compete for a bronze medal in the repechage if Reljikj reaches the finals at the Grand Palais.

Jade Jones’ Olympic journey began at London 2012, where she became Team GB’s first-ever Olympic taekwondo champion at just 19 years old.

She retained her title four years later at Rio 2016. However, she was beaten in the first round at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

[Photo: BBC]