Jade Jones, aka the Headhunter, on the past, present, and future of her legendary taekwondo career

After taking featherweight gold at the 2023 European Games in Poland, Brit Jade Jones, aka the Headhunter, spoke exclusively to Olympics.com while at the airport on her way home, about the past, present, and future, of her legendary taekwondo career.

It was in front of a home crowd at the London 2012 Games that the 19-year-old Welsh superstar stunned the world by taking gold when no one – other than herself, her parents and her coaches – expected it.

She defended her Olympic title four years later in Rio, but suffered a devastating loss in Tokyo, losing in the first round to Refugee Team athlete Kimia Alizadeh.

Now, the 30-year-old has her eye on reclaiming her title in Paris. Reocgnising a generation of hungry and strong newcomers who may stand in her way, Jones knows she has the guile and experience to again make her mark.

But first she, and they, have to qualify for the Games in France.

At the Manchester 2023 World Taekwondo Grand Prix Final taking place from 1-3 December, Jones is looking to secure a quota berth for Team GB in the women's 57kg weight class, by securing enough ranking points to put toward the WT Olympic Ranking list, in which she currently sits second.

Only the top five athletes in each weight class in the WT Olympic Ranking will secure a quota for their respective National Olympic Committees with the Olympic rankings concluding following this tournament.

• As National Olympic Committees have exclusive authority over representing their countries at the Olympic Games, the participation of athletes in the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them as representatives of their delegation for Paris 2024.
• Click here to see the official qualification system for each sport.

Olympics.com: How does it feel the day after you've won a title?

Jade Jones: It's always an amazing feeling the day after. You feel like you're full of bangs [and] bruises. Your body is stiff and sore and you're just kind of like, yeah, I did it. You've gone through the tough day and you feel tired, but it's an amazing feeling.

This is your second win at the European Games. You won eight years ago. Does it feel better this time around? Does it feel like a different experience?

JJ: Yeah, it feels crazy that it was eight years ago. It's mad to know that I'm still doing it and obviously to win eight years apart is a bit mad. And obviously for taekwondo, there's only been two European Games, so I'm really happy with that, just really happy to be honest. I don't know which one feels the best but because of the journey and the hardship that I've gone through, this does have a special meaning to it.

Obviously you've got some vital ranking points. Is Paris the big goal now? Is that what you're aiming for next?

JJ: Obviously it's a big, important year. We've been competing regularly and it's all about that qualification to Paris. So (winning at the European Games) that's big ranking points. It's super, super important. So it puts me in a better position and gives me a better chance in qualifying by 3 December.

You've spoken before about how the memory of London 2012 is your favorite. What made those Games so special for you?

JJ: I think it was just the [lack of] expectations. I was just seen as this little kid that was going in to their first Olympics, but I knew I could win and I knew I was going there to win, but no one else did. So that was the best feeling and kind of mission impossible at the time.

I think I was ranked 14th going into it, so it was probably only me, my coach and a few of my family that believed. So it was [incredible to] become an Olympic champion at your home games. I just don't think it could get much better than that.

• Jade Jones: Britain's headhunter eyeing history through lessons of defeat 

That was a fantastic result. And then four years later in Rio, you defended your title. How much harder is it to defend your title than to win the first time? Or how much harder did you find it?

JJ: The whole journey took me a bit to get into and then I found my feet. I think I started losing first. I couldn't really handle the pressure. Then I got used to it and was kind of dominating going into Rio but then it was almost like, 'Oh my God, I haven't lost in two years, so if I lose in the Olympics, it [would be] horrible'. Do you know what I mean? Because I haven't lost. So, it was kind of more relief and joy for that one [and] that's the kind of legend status. I didn't just do it once, I got to do it again and it was amazing.

Tokyo was obviously a different experience, a huge disappointment. After what happened there, do you find that the fire is burning more brightly for you now? Do you feel more determined with Paris coming up?

JJ: Yeah, definitely. I'm a big believer in things happening for a reason and Tokyo, looking back, it just wasn't meant to be. Everything was wrong about it for me. I love the big crowd. I love my family there.

To be fair, like I said, [I] maybe took it for granted a bit, the winning and, just, I wasn't hungry to win. I was more scared to lose it as if it was mine to lose. Whereas, just the losing it, it makes me appreciate how hard the other ones were to win. How lucky I've been to have this opportunity and this chance and just how much I love the sport as well and what it's given to me and like I said, it's definitely made me stronger as a person.

So, I truly am gonna give, I'm chucking the kitchen sink out this time. I'm not leaving any stone unturned and I'm giving everything I've got to walk away knowing that I could not have done a thing more to do it.

After the (European Games) victory, you spoke about being a little bit older, about the new generation coming through giving you a different type of challenge. How do you think that the new generation and you being more experienced affects you? And do you think that if you win in Paris, that it will be your hardest challenge yet?

JJ: Yeah, it is hard. They're getting younger and younger now. How good they are. Like from 17-year-olds now they can be beating you, they're really hungry [and] coming at you. Like I said, doing it so long, you've got more baggage, people don't realise, but it's a lot harder to be on the top [having done] it so long. But I'm still there, I'm still with them.

So, nothing could beat London but if I do win Paris, I think that possibly could beat it! After the journey after Tokyo, after everything, it would mean the most and like I said, I'm going to go out and give everything I've got to try and make this history. And if it's not meant to be, I'll have to leave it to someone else.

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Bianca [Cook] is obviously here as well fighting. Do you think the fact that you're such close friends makes you better in some way? Do you spur each other on?

JJ: Yeah, definitely because we're competitors, but we're best friends. So we always want to be the best. We're pushing each other on to be the top dog and be the best. But then also, we're best friends. I don't think I could have done it this long without her.

And so, we'll train and then we'll go for a coffee or go for food and we're talking psychology. We're literally sisters now, we're not friends. I've known her for that long and we're so close, so it would be – I hope she gets gold there. She's had a tough journey as well this last year. A lot of injuries. So, she really deserves her golden ending in Paris and I believe that she'll get it.

What would that mean to you if you were on the top of the podium and so was she? What would it mean to share that moment together in Paris?

JJ: Oh, that would be amazing. That literally would be a dream come true. No one truly knows how hard the journey is, but we've been through it together. We see the blood, the sweat, the tears, the ups and downs. So for both of us to have that golden ending would, Oh God, that would just be amazing.

You spoke about the young up and comers. You've got a lot, people like Aaliyah Powell on your own team. Is she someone that you can give advice to now that you've got so much experience in the sport and you've experienced the highs, you've experienced the lows. Is that something that you see as part of your role now in the team?

JJ: Yeah, it is amazing. Obviously she's really young and you're kind of a role model to her [but then the] next minute, she's there chasing your tail and you're competitors. We're both going for the same spot. It is mad how it becomes full circle and she's an amazing athlete; she's doing really well. She's obviously gonna have a massive future ahead of her. But only one person can go, so we're both doing our very best to make that.

When you look back at this after Paris, or, maybe you're going to give LA a shot as well, but when you finish competing, what do you think your legacy will be? What do you want it to be?

JJ: I was always thinking it was about the gold medals or about doing the three-time titles. But now, for me, what I want is to be remembered as someone who have had the balls to go after and chase their dreams. It's not easy. You lose and it's not easy to keep putting yourself on the line every single time. But I wanna be remembered for having heart, guts and giving absolutely everything to make history, and then if I don't, I gave it my all and I couldn't have said I didn't do that.