Jade Jones Transitions from Taekwondo to Boxing Post-2024 Olympics
Jade Jones, former Olympic taekwondo champion, announces her transition to boxing after the 2024 Paris Games. Following her taekwondo career, she desires new challenges, prompting her decision. Jones discusses her instinctive kicking reflex due to her taekwondo background and expresses intent to pursue professional boxing. She will be trained by Stephen Smith and has a history of Olympic success.
Jade Jones, a former Olympic taekwondo champion, has expressed her need for a new challenge as she transitions from martial arts to boxing following the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. During an appearance on The Sports Agents podcast, she recounted how the toll of the Olympic experience led her to consider boxing as a refreshing change in her professional career.
Jones revealed that her decision to switch sports began as a spontaneous idea while pondering her future. “I don’t even know where it came from… I thought, ‘You know, I might change over to boxing.’ At first, I think it was a bit of a distraction after the Olympics,” she stated.
Reflecting on the emotional impact of the last Olympics, Jones noted, “It felt like it took a bit of a piece of me,” which further solidified her desire for a fresh perspective in her athletic endeavors. She elaborated, saying, “I just needed a new challenge: something fresh, something exciting, but I wasn’t done with professional sports yet.”
As Jones trains to adapt to boxing, she acknowledges the instinctive urge to kick due to her extensive taekwondo background. “It’s a funny story… Every time someone flies at me, I just go to lift my leg, it’s like an automatic reaction!” she shares.
When discussing her boxing future, Jones indicated her aim to pursue a professional path rather than return to Olympic competition, stating, “Professional route is the plan.”
At the age of 31, Jones has recently retired from taekwondo to embark on this new boxing career. She previously secured gold medals in taekwondo at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Her preparations for the 2024 Olympics were notably impacted by a controversy involving a missed drugs test, which she navigated without receiving a ban.
Looking ahead, Jones will be trained by Stephen Smith, a respected figure in the boxing community, in Liverpool.
The episode of The Sports Agents featuring Jade Jones is available on Global Player or wherever podcasts are accessible.
In conclusion, Jade Jones has made the significant decision to transition from taekwondo to boxing after the 2024 Olympic Games. This move arises from her quest for a new challenge following the emotional toll of her Olympic experiences. With aspirations to pursue a professional boxing career and under the guidance of esteemed coach Stephen Smith, she embarks on a fresh chapter in her athletic life, seeking excitement beyond her past achievements in taekwondo.
Original Source: www.leaderlive.co.uk
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