Britain’s Taekwondo queen Jade Jones LOSES her crown as she is beaten in her first Tokyo Olympics fight
Britain’s Taekwondo queen Jade Jones lost her crown today, after she was beaten in her first fight at the Tokyo Olympics.
The usually ferocious fighter – who won gold at London 2012 and Rio 2016 – was knocked out by Iranian refugee Alizadeh Zenoorin in a major sporting upset and a bitter blow for TeamGB’s medal hopes.
Jones, 28, from Manchester – nicked-named the ‘head hunter’ for her forensic head kicks – can now only hope for bronze but must first qualify by winning the wild-card ‘repechage’ bout to get into the for the runner’s up final.
Team GB’s Jade Jones suffered a shock after losing to Kimia Alizadeh Zenoorin in taekwondo
Jones had been on the hunt for a third consecutive title but instead crashed out early in Tokyo
The double Olympic winner had hoped to make history by becoming the first British woman to win three golds in a row
The double Olympic winner had hoped to make history by becoming the first British woman to win three golds in a row.
And she claimed anything other than out-right victory in the 57kg category would constitute failure.
Speaking before the Games she said: ‘GB female athletes haven’t done three in a row, and it hasn’t been done in taekwondo, so if it’s a gold it’s this big history.
‘I know it’s a tough task, and the fact I have given so much preparation means I know I can walk away proud, but to me anything else less than a gold is a fail.’
Iranian Alizadeh Zenoorin had led heading into the final round and clinched a superb victory
Jones’ opponent Alizadeh Zenoorin joined the Refugee Olympic Team after defecting from Iran last year.
She was the first Iranian woman to win an Olympic medal she won bronze at Rio 2016.
But she fled the hard-line Islamic regime citing her hatred of the mandatory wearing of the hijab head-scarf, sexism and being used for propaganda.
Germany granted her asylum earlier this year.
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