Two-time Olympic champion Jade Jones has announced her transition from taekwondo to boxing as she aims to achieve her goal of becoming a world champion in a new sport. The 32-year-old athlete, who secured gold medals for Team GB at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, expressed a strong desire to compete at the highest level once again, this time inside the boxing ring.
Jones, hailing from Wales, experienced a setback when her quest for a third Olympic gold ended with an early exit at the Paris 2024 Games. Less than a year later, she shared her decision to switch sports during an appearance on the YouTube show “The Smith Brothers,” emphasizing her commitment to excel in boxing. “It’s nice to have a fresh start,” she said. “It’s a new challenge. I wouldn’t be here to just get knocked out and get a bit of money.”
In her quest for success, Jones is focused on taking her journey step by step, stating, “I want to take it step by step, one fight at a time, to kind of enjoy the journey again.” She acknowledged that the thrill of competition had diminished towards the end of her taekwondo career, but she is now resolute in her ambition to reclaim that excitement. “I’m definitely aiming to be world champion,” she added. “I believe in myself, I believe in my ability, and I’ll just take each fight at a time and see.”
Jones’s illustrious taekwondo career includes victories such as defeating Hou Yuzhuo in the 57kg division at the 2012 London Olympics and successfully defending her title against Eva Calvo at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Additionally, she secured gold at the 2019 World Championships held in Manchester.
During her transition, Jones has been training alongside Stephen Smith, a former professional boxer, with whom she began her boxing training in early 2025. Her determination to succeed in a different sport has not come without its challenges. In a previous interview on BBC Breakfast, she candidly discussed her feelings of uncertainty. “It is nerve-wracking. Some days I wake up and think, ‘Am I absolutely crazy?'” she admitted.
Despite these doubts, Jones remains enthusiastic about her new path. “I love taekwondo; it will always be my first love. But this is an exciting challenge,” she explained. Reflecting on her decision to try boxing, she shared, “I was sat in my kitchen and thought, ‘I’ll try boxing.’ My family all think I’m crazy, but people who know me know it is inside me; I love to have a fight and a scrap.”
Jones invites her fans to join her on this journey, promising to share the highs and lows along the way. “People can follow my journey, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Can I get to the top? Will I fail? The dream is to be a world champion. To be a world champion in two sports would be pretty cool.”
As Jade Jones embarks on this new chapter of her sporting career, the world will be watching closely to see how her passion and tenacity translate into the boxing ring.
