'I'm obviously not on them because I lost': Team GB's Jade Jones denies doping claims

9 August 2024, 14:07

Team GB taekwondo star Jade Jones has denied doping claims after crashing out in the first round of the Olympics.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist missed a drug test in December but managed to avoid sanctions.

Jones, 31, addressed the missed test after her elimination was confirmed, admitting: "I made a mistake.

"They (the drug testers) came on dehydration day, I wasn't in the right mind, I was lucky they looked into it and it all got sorted and proven I was innocent.

"I can confirm that I've never taken drugs. I've done hundreds of tests and since then I've done 13 more tests - more than ever."

Ukad, the UK Anti-Doping Agency, ruled that Jones bore "no fault or negligence for the missed test" due to "loss of cognitive capacity".

In most serious cases athletes can be banned from competing for four years for refusing a drug test.

Jones was beaten in her opening bout of the women's -57kg taekwondo competition in Paris after a narrow defeat to Miljana Reljikj of North Macedonia.

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The missed test arose when a Ukad official arrived at Jones' hotel room in Manchester on December 1 to request a sample.

Jones reportedly told the official she was undergoing dehydration training before a weigh-in and had not eaten or drank since November 29.

She signed a document saying she could provide a sample for this reason but provided a clean sample to a different official 12 hours later.

Refusing a drug test is counted as a failed test under Ukad and WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) regulations, but Jones said she was not aware of these rules.

She said: "I didn’t know what I was signing,

"The drug test has come on dehydration day. You’re losing the weight and you haven’t eaten or drank for a few days...

"There was a lot of stress and I was waiting. I needed to dehydrate. I became stressed, I wasn’t in the right mind. I thought you could miss three."

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Speaking after losing the first round bout yesterday, Jones said: "I’m devastated. I came here to win, I thought I could win, and on the day I didn’t have the balls that it took and that made the difference.

“I’m super proud of having the courage to try to do something that no one’s done.

"The more you win, the harder it gets, the pressure, the mental side. It’s tough. I came out today and didn’t have the balls to fight free and let my legs go and I’m just gutted that I didn’t show what I am capable of."

Asked whether she would continue competing, Jones said: "I don’t know. Anything I do I commit 100%. So I’ll just go back and see my family and see what happens."